Sir Jose's Crusade
by Teemuu
Summary: The knight Sir Jose begins his one man crusade against a myriad of foes in the Western Freeholds. Chronicled by his semi faithful squire, and joined by an unlikely assortment of allies, can even the mighty warrior of the Order of the Husky defeat the cowardly goblins, dull giants, disreputable merchants, forlorn dragons, plane shifting warriors, and worse .. arrayed against him?
1. Chapter 1

"Face it Jose, you will never meet another woman that's beautiful, charming, competent….and mostly importantly can tolerate your drunken ass.", sniped Kitahria.

"….If you are going to insult me…please address me as Sir Jose. ", responded the large knight drolly.

"Sigh, I was just trying to get some sort of emotion out of you. ", conceded Kitahria . " You're boring as it is…but you're definitely no fun when you're sulking like this. "

"Woof!", barked Greenpaw in agreement, but Jose deemed it unimportant to respond.

A silence fell on them as the trio continued to march up the narrow snow covered mountain path. Sir Jose was not particularly tall , but he was broad of shoulder and had a hard look about him despite his rough appearance. The dark haired, olive skinned man wore the familiar armor of the Knights of the North, more specifically the colors and banner of the famous Knights of the Husky. He rode upon a massive mailed green and white dog which was the size of a horse. Trailing slightly behind them was a young slip of a girl, with reddish brown hair and pale skin. Although Jose looked slightly out of the place amongst the northerner's of Grom, Kitahria definitely stood out as some type of foreigner.

"Your ears are showing again, Keeta. ", commented Jose as he finally broke the silence.

"I know. Its more comfortable this way. I'm not use to the cold climate like you two are. ", protested Kit as she fluttered her long elfin fur covered ears. "It's not a big deal is it? We haven't seen signs of anyone for days, save for the tracks of that caravan that is a day ahead of us. ", she added.

"Woof ! ", barked Greenpaw.

Sir Jose simply glared at her and the young girl sighed and retracted both the length and the fur from her ears. In a few seconds they seemed like plain unremarkable human ears.

"About earlier….I didn't mean to upset you. The baroness…", began Kit but Jose held his hand to silence her.

"The Baroness is a grown woman , a grandmother she keeps reminding me. It's for the best we went our separate ways. Besides, my master Lord Rollo has sent us to the Western Freeholds in response for a call for aid. I have more important things on my mind right now than the Lady Stille. ", responded Sir Jose dismissively.

Greenpaw whined at the mention of the Lady Stille and Kit agreed with him. Despite his brave front, Kit knew her master was hurting inside. She also knew he blamed himself , and the young squire was reluctant to agree. Though he attributed their social standings and their age difference for their eventual parting, Kit knew she spoke the truth when she mentioned his drinking. Jose was a good , brave man, but not while under the influence of that accursed Agave worm juice he loved so much. Not that he couldn't his liquor, but Kit knew that it made him moody and sometimes mean spirited when he imbibed too much of it. For the most part, the Baroness forgave Jose for his indulgences, but Kit guessed even the noble and kind hearted Lady Stille had her limits.

As Kit recollected the seemingly trivial aspects of her master's romantic life, Greenpaw came to a stop and gave a low growl.

"Ambush? ", asked Kit but Jose had already drawn his sword and readied his shield.

Kit's senses were unnaturally sharp, but not as keen as Jose's mount. She scanned the mountainous path , and saw several places where they could be waylaid. It was mostly snow and rocks, and the slope was fairly gentle but the easiest form of attack would be an avalanche she thought. The squire could well imagine bandits rolling a tide of snow and debris on them and then picking through their corpses. Another possibility might be they were hidden in the snow , waiting for the opportunity to spring up around them and surround them before they could escape. Kit wasn't sure what the order of attack was going to be , but fiddled with her twin curved daggers in readiness.

Kit half expected Sir Jose to turn around and approach from a different direction, but instead the knight defiantly stood his ground. "I am Sir Jose, a knight of the Order of the Husky. Regardless if you are friend or foe, face me in the open! ", he shouted while drawing his blade and scanning the terrain with his paladin's vision. A formidable talent that allowed the knight to detect not only evil foes, but also to roughly gauge their level of corruption as well.

Kit wondered if his booming voice would trigger an avalanche but thankfully it did not. Instead , a young woman, slightly taller and older than Kit , seemingly appeared out of the wastes a mere twenty feet in front of them. Though the squire's eyes were sharp, she was not sure where or how she hid from them so long. The woman was certainly not armed for banditry. She was dressed in a simple, tight fitting tan dress that elegantly showed her ample curves. The cold weather did not seem to affect her much , despite the light clothing she wore. Unusual for anywhere else, but not for the hardy cold weathered inhabitants of Grom, the squire noted. She had long curly brown hair, blue eyes, and her skin was slightly darker than Kit's almost white skin, but nowhere near as dark as Jose's. She had a fair scent to her, Kit noted she smelled more like a pampered merchant's wife or daughter than a mercenary or bandit. The young squire thought the woman pretty, but in a more village beauty kind of way, instead of the aristocratic splendor of the baroness. Despite the woman's non-threatening appearance, the fact that she had appeared in the middle of nowhere , screamed danger in Kit's mind.

"Are you the knight in charge of keeping these roads safe? If you are, than you are doing a terrible job! ", the young woman declared angrily.

"I have been given a writ by my master Rollo that gives me the command of the Northern Knight garrison in Fairhaven when we arrive. They have been charged to maintain law and order in the Western Freeholds. So technically I am not currently in charge of keeping these roads safe, but it will be part of my duties after I reach my destination. ", explained Jose as he sheathed his sword. Kit guessed that she had passed the paladin's vision test but the squire still shook her head slightly at her master. She hated it when he revealed too much, especially to potentially dangerous strangers.

The young woman's expression soften slightly and she bowed slightly towards the knight and squire. "Excuse my rudeness then. I see now that you are not to blame for my plight. A mixed band of ogres and goblins raided my caravan . I'm not sure what happened, but I think the advance scout for the caravan triggered an ambush, afterwards they streamed out of the mountains to attack us. The guards put up a spirited defense but there were too many. They captured and looted many wagons, and cut me off from the others. I'm not sure if any escaped. ", she explained bitterly.

Kit knew that they had been slowly gaining on a caravan heading towards the Western Freeholds during the last few days. From the tracks, she guessed there was about ten wagons, and roughly fifty merchants and guards. For a band to humanoids to be so brazen to attack so many, they probably have been numbered close to one hundred fifty to two hundred. She could not confirm the numbers of course without examining their tracks or scent.

"Why were you hiding from us?" asked Jose.

The woman seemed hesitant to answer at first but relented under the knight's glare. "I wasn't sure of your intentions. I was hoping to let you pass and follow you to safety. ", she admitted. Jose and Kitahria gave each other bemused glances at the woman's response, though she somehow hid herself well, it would have been difficult to follow them without their notice.

Before Kit could make a snarky comment about the woman's doomed plan, Jose stood tall in his saddle, drew his blade once again, reared his mount slightly , while pointing his sword off into the distance and striking a heroic pose. The squire rolled her eyes at her master's antics. "Though this pass is not under my protection yet, I will crush this band of ogres and goblins that are plaguing it. Today I begin my crusade to bring justice to the Western Freeholds! So swears Sir Jose of the Order of the Husky! ", the knight declared.

The young woman was briefly stunned by his statement, but clapped excitedly in glee. Kit sighed and looked behind them to see if there was a platoon of knights following them that she had missed. Sadly there none, and she wondered if her lord's overconfidence had once again bitten off more than he could chew.

* * *

Finding where the caravan had been attacked was simple enough. The wagons were all gone, but the signs of battle were plainly evident. The raiders had left their dead scattered around the area, and there was slight debris from some damaged carts. With her tracking skills Kit determined that perhaps half of the carts left in a haphazard manner down the trail, while the rest were either pushed or dragged up the mountain by the raiders. The bodies in the area had been looted and stripped, but Kit noted with disdain that they were not buried or at least hidden. That was pretty sloppy for bandits , especially if they wanted any hope of catching any future caravans or travellers unaware. Jose didn't seem too concern about the crude logistics of the raiders, and instead broke from the trail and pursued them up the mountain.

Jose suggested to the woman that she rejoined her caravan, but the girl stubbornly refused. She babbled something about keeping an eye on her investment , and insited on following them. The squire wasn't sure what she said to her master , but somehow the woman convinced him that she could tag along. Kit thought the high altitude, and a few hundred feet of scaling the mountain would soon tire her out and make her reconsider her decision, but to her credit the young woman had managed to keep pace with the squire and her master. Normally Kit would be taking point tracking the goblins but since the trail was easily enough to follow , Jose sent her to keep guard and a wary eye on their guest. Kit, being naturally sociable, talkative and curious, of course began making light conversation with the woman. The squire wanted to know who she was and why she was on a mountain in the middle of nowhere , following an armored knight on a dog, tracking goblins.

"So your name is Maid? That's an unusual name isn't it ? Even for a Grommer. ", noted Kitahria as she followed her master.

Maid laughed lightly. "Even though I'm not a Grommer, it is an unusual name isn't it. Believe it or not, I'm from the northern lands, the birth place of the Orders that you and your master seem to follow. Though I must admit , that you two do not look like the other knights that fight under your banner. That was one of the reasons, that I decided to attempt to hide from your presence. ", she admitted.

Kit nodded. "Aye. My master hails from North Darokin a land , despite its name, that is far to the south. Myself , I am from lands further to the east than you can imagine. I was originally from an area called the Empire of the Emerald Throne, but had lived most my life in the distant lands of Vinnraj, or what you would call the Mysterious Kingdoms. I only recently arrived to Grom a few years ago, and through a series of fortunate events, became the dour Sir Jose's squire."

The knight ahead of them grunted at the mention of his name, which caused Kit and Maid to share a brief smile.

"You've lead an interesting life I see. One that I hope to hear more of if we survive . Unfortunately my own tale isn't that remarkable . My family were merchants, but they were slain in a caravan similar to the one that I was just in. It was a long time ago and sadly I don't even remember them .", explained Maid with a frown. " The caravan master dropped me off at a secluded inn at his next stop, and I guessed you could say I was adopted by the Innkeeper there. I worked as a waitress and….maid there till I made enough money to strike out on my own. I guess you could say , that's how I received my name. "

"You were named after your job? That's odd isn't it?", asked Kit.

Maid shrugged. "Not really , up north, especially in the smaller towns, people are named for what they do. A black smith for example would be called smith, in my own community, the innkeeper was named Innkeeper, his cook was named Cook, we even had a guy that fetched water that we called…."

"Silence! ", hissed Jose as the knight and his massive mount crouched low to the snow. Despite the size of Greenpaw, it's snow covered fur easily blended into mountainous terrain. The war dog would not be easy to spot by a sentry unless they were alert, something goblins were not particularly well known for.

The group stopped a moment before Jose waved Kit towards a large outcropping a rock below the mountain's crest. It was approximately two hundred feet away and Kit noted the trail passed directly below it. The squire nodded silently and lightly hopped onto a patch of hardened snow and surprisingly did not sink or break the surface. Maid's eyes grew in surprise when she finally noticed that Kit was not wearing shoes, an easy enough detail to miss since, her feet were covered in reddish brown hair and appeared as fashionable furred boots.

The squire shifted her form and tested the weight of the surface slightly then adjusted her weight accordingly. She shrunk slightly and grew out her tail for balance, but was still able to maintain a humanoid form. She saw Maid was in slight shock but not stricken with panic at her transformation, she guessed the young woman had seen lycanthropes before, but did not guess she was one herself. Kit of course simply flashed a sly smile, before scampering across the snow towards the rocks that Jose pointed out.

The squire was evasive and erratic in her movements, but it was an unnecessary precaution she admitted. As she neared the rocks she could detect the distinct scents of her foes. The sentries were indeed goblins and she knew that their vision would be impaired by the day light. That and their legendary sloth should make it easy to approach them. She knew her caution was mainly for show to her Master, and she did not wish to be scolded if she guessed incorrectly about their alertness.

As she circled around the outcropping she saw that there were three bow armed sentries. One was apparently sleeping while two were engaged in some sort of crude dice game. She signalled their number to Jose, which responded with a quick slash with his fingers across his throat.

Kit smiled, her title was merely that of a squire, but she was well versed in the killing arts. Perhaps as lethal as Jose himself she mused in a moment of pride. Though the background she revealed to Maid was fairly accurate, she had left out many less than savory details. Before she was rescued by Sir Jose, she lead a life dark life as an assassin for a creature that could best be described as a demon. She was raised and trained as a weapon to kill the demon's enemies , mainly giants and curiously enough other demons. Killing goblins would be no problem for her she thought. She studied her foes and knew the safest order of attack would be the sleeping sentry first than the two preoccupied ones. She instead decided to impress her master by killing the other two first and capturing the sleeping one to question.

She lightly pounced on the two dice playing goblins and stabbed one through the throat and stabbed the other through the eye. The second goblin died instantly while the one with the slashed throat stumbled back and attempted to scream. Only a gurgle of blood came from its throat before it crashed into the ground. The slight ruckus its death throes made however woke its sleeping comrade, who was apparently resting more snoozing. Kit silently cursed as she turned and saw the third goblin stare at her in surprise. The distance between them wasn't that great but it was too far away to cover before it screamed. She threw her curved blade instead, and it whirled head over hilt towards her foe. Kit considered the kukris she used more suited to hand to hand combat than a normal dagger, but admitted that the small straight blades used by Grommers and their neighbors were more suited to throwing. Her assessment proved correct as her blade struck the goblin in the chest rather than its throat where she was aiming.

"Bree-Yark! " To her dread the heavily wounded creature screeched a warning before it limped from its cover. Kit cursed and scampered after her prey, but a massive green blur obliterated the goblin before it took ten steps. Greenpaw then took a few steps and rounded the crest of the mountain. The squire saw the knight peered over the other side and a smile crept on his face.

Kit knew she should have played it safe and began apologizing to the knight, but Jose waved her forward to the crest. The squire retrieved her blade before she scampered forward as ordered, and saw they were over top a small valley. Five of the plundered caravan wagons were there and she saw that its supplies were being divided by the raiders. She swiftly counted roughly forty goblins and about a half dozen ogres, a far number from the 150 to 200 she expected. Perhaps the rest were away from camp, but most likely there was most likely a cave or entrance to some underground lair nearby. She also noted that they did not seem to be employing war beasts like goblins often did. No worgs, dire wolves , or winter wolves, but there were a few stray almost comical goblin dogs in the camp. Though she was well use to death, her stomach turned slightly when she saw a dozen slain guardsman and merchants piled amongst the slain horses in a make shift abattoir, a dozen more haggard prisoners and a few horses were being lined up to meet a similar fate and Kit knew that they had little time if they were to be saved. The warning shout the goblin sentry gave seemed to have little effect on the camp save to draw brief glances of a few of the wagon looters.

"Greenpaw and I will lead the charge and draw their attention. Keeta, you make your way to that slaughter house and secure the prisoners. ", commanded Jose contemptuously at the goblin and ogre host. The fact that even if you didn't count a hidden lair, they were outnumbered roughly twenty to one but it seemed to have no bearing on the knight's tactics. "If you hurry, I'll leave a few ogres for you. ", smirked the knight before he bellowed a war cry that shook the small valley .

Kit nodded at her Lord's overconfidence. Win or lose, the wrath and judgement of the Order of the Husky would be brought to their foes. His self style crusade of the Western Freeholds would either begin gloriously or end miserably today.


	2. Chapter 2

Kitahria scampered across the valley ridge to circle behind to the abattoir. Her lord didn't exactly give her a detail plan of attack, but she guessed she would concentrate on freeing the prisoners first. She was half hoping to find some loose boulders to roll down onto the monsters below, but guessed that the goblins had already cleared any usable debris that could be used against them. As the young squire hopped and skipped she guessed it was for the best that her path was at least solid and not loose and treacherous.

Screams from behind told her that her lord Sir Jose was busy getting the horde's attention. She glanced slightly back and saw her master and his mount ruthlessly chopping and scattering a dozen goblins that were too slow to flee before his initial charge. She contained her enthusiasm though as she saw a dozen armored oni, or what Grommers called ogres, forming ranks outside a large lodge in the middle of the valley. While few could match her lord's martial prowess, Kit knew that the enemies sheer numbers would eventually best his skill. She needed to secure the prisoners then rush to support his flank.

As the squire sprinted to her target, several arrows whistled slightly past her. Kit frowned as she guessed the goblins had additional sentries around the valley , and that they were alerted by the scream. She wondered how many more of the beasts would be summoned due to her less than stealthy attempt at dispatching the guards previously. She cursed her pride and wondered if Sir Jose would be angry or simply disappointed at her earlier failure.

She spotted the half dozen sentries, and they were unfortunately directly in her path. Kit's eye's narrowed as she sped towards them. The goblin's shrieked and hollered as they loosed another volley at her. The squire ducked low as she weaved and dodged most of the projectiles, but an arrow still managed to strike her squarely in the shoulder.

Kit stumbled slightly but ignored the wound and resumed her sprint towards them. The goblins readied another volley , but the squire threw one of her curved daggers at her attackers first. Instead of glancing strike against her foe's chest like the last time, Kit smiled as her blade lodged itself into its eye. The goblin gurgled as it stumbled from its wound , it lurched precariously for a few seconds on the ledge before it tumbled off and fell down the valley. The other five goblins scowled and dropped their bows then drew jagged blades to bar her path. Kit was confident that she could best these creatures but the longer she took battling these monsters , the longer it would take for her to join Jose's side.

As the squire neared her opponents, an arrow embedded itself into the lead goblin. The remaining creatures' morale seem to waver, but broke when another arrow struck another of their rank. Kit was confused at the source of her aid, but she turned and saw the maid wielding one of the crude goblin bows at the outcropping they had cleared earlier. Kit was impressed with her skill but wasn't sure if she should be thankful or suspicious of her new ally. She decided to leave that question for later as she continued her charge.

When she reached the ledge overlooking the makeshift prison slaughter area, Kit saw that her lord's distraction was working. Though some goblins seemed alerted to her presence, the vast majority of the valley's defenders seemed focus on the armored knight atop the massive green dog. Sir Jose had already amassed a pile of goblins and ogres beneath him, but Kit could see that he was being pressed slowly backwards. The shock of his unexpected attack had faded, and predictably the humanoids were using their superior numbers against him.

Kit knew she should hurry. To climb down the cliff to the abattoir below would take too long, so instead she shifted her shape slightly. She grew more bestial in nature, sprouting long furry ears and a bushy tail. She knew it would be safer to transform fully into her animal state, but that would put her at a disadvantage when she reached the bottom. Besides, she hated scrounging for her gear and especially clothing after such a change. After her brief transformation she hopped from rock , to ledge , to outcropping, to rock . Even though her weight was only a fraction of what it was, the surface still broke beneath her as she descended but it matter not since she had already jumped further down the slope.

In a flash ,the squire was at the valley bottom with her curved daggers or kukris at the ready. A couple of goblins ran towards her waving their jagged weapons in the air , shouting their bravado as they charged. Kit gauged their speed and reach but suddenly felt a large presence behind her. She rolled to the side but a large blunt force still struck a glancing blow to her side. The squire briefly lost her footing but managed to spin to face her attacker. It was a hairy goblin , bigger than any she had previously seen. It was smaller than an ogre, but still larger than Sir Jose. It's body , face, and arms were covered in thick white fur with a few brown patches. Unlike the smaller goblins, its wore a heavy breast plate and wielded a spiked war mace , instead of the patch work leather and crude makeshift weapons that its kin were using.

Kit wasn't sure how she missed this large creature but snarled and launched herself into her foe. Her opponent seemed a bit surprised at how its smaller opponent had recovered so quickly from the strike it had landed and was caught off guard by her ferocity. Kit managed to duck a rushed blow and slashed the creature once against its side, and jabbed upwards with her other blade into its arm pit, avoiding its heavy armor. The goblin roared and attempted to grab her with its free arm, but the nimble squire spun and slid behind it. Kit then stabbed the monster 's lower back, its heavy armor deflected one blade but the other sank satisfyingly through leather, fur and flesh. The large goblin faltered a bit before falling onto one knee in pain.

Before the squire could celebrate her victory she felt her body slammed by three sharp blows. The force of the attack slammed her into the ground and pain wracked her small lithe body. A trickle of blood flowed obscured one eye as she saw a goblin warrior charging her along with the wounded limping giant goblin, behind it the last goblin's hands was bathed in blue, with angry motes of arcane energy spitting from them. The squire guessed it was a mage or shaman of some sort and panic spread through her.

Kit was normally fearless in battle, not because she was full of courage like Sir Jose, but because she knew few foes could penetrate her magically enchanted skin. She wasn't invulnerable though, heavy blows from large creatures like giants, spells , and of course silver could affect her. Faced with a melee screen in front of her , a spell caster behind them, and the possibility of more goblins swarming her, the squire knew that she was in real danger.

Kit felt the urge to flee, but ignored the impulse and grimly faced her foes. One of the things she learned admired about her lord was his ability to never back down, never surrender. She glanced behind her foes and saw Sir Jose atop of Greenpaw holding off a horde of the goblins and ogres heroically. He was injured and bloodied but gave little ground to his opponents. She thought the goblins before her was not that dangerous after all as she leapt back onto her feet.

She would attempt to deke the first goblin and simply circle the big one before rushing the spell caster, hopefully it would not have any defensive spells in place. Before she put her plan into action, a crude arrow slammed into the side of the shaman's head, thus ending the threat. Kit didn't need to see who was responsible for the assistance and grudgingly waved her bushy tail towards the last location she saw Maid . She then bypassed the larger limping goblin and found herself faced with the now solo opponent. The goblin shaman sensed its three to one advantage had rapidly vanished and stopped. It began to turn and flee, but the squire gave it no chance. Kit darted towards it and slashed it once each across the across the eyes, throat, and finally its groin. The creature released a chilling scream that sounded across the small valley, which gave even the foes fighting Jose pause.

Kit expected more foes but saw none directly before her. She saw peripherally some more goblins swarm out of a lodge , but noted that they did not spot her yet. She took the brief respite in battle and ran towards the make shift prison, slaughter house. Instinctively she grew a little taller and retracted her fur so not to panic the prisoners . Though her master Jose accepted her racial heritage, she knew full well that most humans were more fearful of her than their goblin captors.

The prisoners were expectedly in an uproar when Kit reached them. From their prison they weren't sure what was happening but sensed that freedom was near. Kit guessed from both the crude structures and the goblin reputation for sloth that they wouldn't be locked or in chains, and thankfully she was correct. The prisoners were jammed into a corral and a heavy rope kept the gate containing them secured. The squire swung her sharp kukri in a wide arc, and sliced the rope cleanly securing them cleanly apart.

Kit wasn't sure what was to do next. Jose's plan and her own thoughts did not anticipate that far. She half expected the prisoners to simply attempt to flee the valley while she ran to her master's side. The squire was surprised when the freed prisoners gave a loud cheer and began grabbing the weapons of the fallen goblins or make shift clubs. They dispatched the slowly pursing larger goblin and then without ordering them they formed ranks behind her as she rushed the rear ranks of the horde battling Jose.

An armored ogre stood in their path and swung its massive broadsword in wide arcs to keep their group at bay, but Kit simply smiled at this new menace. Before she was Jose's squire, Kit was trained to hunt rival demons and giants by her cruel demon lords. Kit was very good at her job, and was proud to claim that she fought the dreaded Ivory Lady to a standstill. Kit thought she would have eventually triumphed and only the frost giant mercenary's magic denied her the victory. Kit tumbled forward and evaded the ogre's blade and though this new foe would be no match for her. She scampered behind it and released a swift and accurate slice to its heel which staggered the creature. The ogre didn't fall, but Kit nimbly hopped onto its back and stabbed it in its shoulder, since its neck was armored and stabbing a giant in the head was normally futile. The monster twisted to swat the squire, but Kit easily hopped away . The sudden motion by the ogre however was enough to unbalance it , especially with its wounded heel and the giant crashed heavily onto the ground. The ogre found itself overwhelmed as a few prisoners mercilessly stabbed and clubbed it as the rest followed Kit towards the enemy.

The real danger of the armored Sir Jose and his savage canine mount, the psychological peril of random arrows raining into their skulls, and the perceived threat of the small squire leading a band of half beaten prisoners was too much for the humanoid horde. They quickly scattered and began madly climbing out of the valley. The few that remained were easily crushed by Greenpaw or swarmed by the vengeful band lead by Kit.

* * *

Jose lead a brief pursuit of their foe as Kitahria secured the valley after their victory. The prisoners were still in shock but thankful and showered the squire with praise. Sir Jose normally received the lion share of commendations and Kit was unaccustomed to such acclaim.

"Praise Koryis for your bravery! "

"Thank the fates for your intervention!"

"Thank you thank you thank you!"

Kit's head was spinning from the flattery, especially from some of the younger handsome guards. She ignored her fresh wounds as she basked in the victory. The young squire's small band of admirers quickly vanished however , when the slightly older and admittedly more pretty Maid slid easily down to the valley floor.

"Lady Maid! Thank the gods you are alright!", exclaimed a guard at the pretty young woman wielding the goblin maid.

"Wait…Maid is your real name? ", asked Kit in disbelief as she stared at the uninjured woman. She accepted the fact that most people had nicknames or call signs to address each other on the field, but she found it hard to believe that Maid was what she actually called herself. Her mistrust of the archer grew accordingly.

"I thought I told you how I got the name. ", protested Maid with a slight pout to her lips, that brought smile to the guardsman. Kit thought she looked more like a flirting waitress at that point than a deadly archer that had laid low at least a dozen goblins .

"Yeah , yeah . I know. You were named after your ability to be maid or something. Don't tell me you just got lucky with your shots . Firing a bow decently in battle takes a lot of training. ", pointed out Kit , slightly annoyed at Maid's innocent act. The squire knew she would have to keep an eye out for her.

Maid shrugged. "I told you I was from a small community. Everyone had to have some fighting skills , especially when the snow goblins or gnolls attacked. I learned to handle this weapon from a hunter named Hunter if you can believe that. ", she explained. "My skill with the bow isn't that remarkable, even the water boy was half decent with a sword. ", she added with a sigh and a nostalgic look in her eye.

"Gnolls? ", asked Kit puzzled. Her annoyance faded and was soon replaced by curiosity. "What's a gnoll?"

"A tall hyena headed humanoid. They were a plague on the land a long time ago, and threatened to destroy all of the north under the banner of their demon lord . Most of them were wiped out over a century ago when the Warmaster lead a great host of knights and smashed the demon and gnoll horde. Close to half a million were slain that day. Very few gnolls remained in the world after that, but tales of a few wayward bands do pop up occasionally.", explained one of the older freed prisoners while the rest nodded their heads in agreement with his tale.

Kit recalled hearing about this battle, even though she lived most of her life in far off Vinnraj. She mostly regarded it as some distant myth like the tales of Ragnarok , the stunning victories of Baktu Khan , or the legendary battles of Monte Nabisco. She didn't think that an actual Warmaster actually battled these beast creatures as recently as a century ago.

Kit eyed up the smiling young woman, and sighed. She guess she shouldn't prod too much into Maid's past less her own attributes be brought into question. She noted that despite seeing her unique ears, tail and fur that Maid did not inquire vocally about it in front of the freed prisoners. Kit decided against voicing too much of a fuss over Maid's archery skill and decided that it was better to have a mysterious bow woman on her side that against her shooting arrows into her hide. She still didn't trust her , but would not confront her directly about it.

* * *

The goblin camp was swiftly looted and burned. The ground was too frozen and hard to bury the dead, and a cairn of rocks was instead place atop them. Most of the supplies and goods were recovered and loaded back onto the remaining wagons as the band prepared to leave the valley. Kit noticed that Maid seemed especially concerned with a few crates marked fragile and delicate. The squire discreetly peered into one of the wooden boxes and to her disappointment found they contained mostly crystal steins or glass mugs. She half expected to discover some great treasure or more likely contraband , but guessed that there was some merit to her mysterious companions claim to being a merchant after all.

Some of the freed caravan guards and merchants expressed concern that Sir Jose had not returned yet, but Kit dismissed their worries. She doubt her lord was in trouble especially engaged in a pursuit operation. Sir Jose was a trained cavalryman, breaking through enemy lines and , more importantly in this instance, riding down a fleeing enemy was one of his specialties. She doubted the goblins could mount a successful ambush or counter attack when pursued by such a relentless and skilled foe. In fact she had doubts even a platoon of elite Thyatian infantry could put up much resistance to her lord after their ranks were broken. She could well imagine Greenpaw and Jose expertly taking out the stragglers and those at their flanks, giving his foe little time to regroup or organize.

Two of the wagons had to be abandoned due partially to the damage they had sustained and the lack of mounts, and the remaining three were laden heavily with plunder and supplies. Kit noted she should take better inventory of what was taken from the camp, and admitted that both Jose and her were poor accountants. She noted grimly that until recently Jose's countryman , Martinez , or more often than not the Baroness Stille, took stock of their treasure. Kit hoped that this incident wouldn't drive her lord back into his sulking mood or worse yet to a bout of drinking that accursed fermented agave worm juice once again. She noted he looked quite happy and almost liberated mounted astride his war dog , wading through carnage like a bloody god of war, and hoped he would retain that spirit for the next little while.

As the small reformed caravan slowly made its way out of the valley, they were greeted by the sight of a small orderly line of men marching towards them. Her keen eyes also spotted a half dozen white furred dogs and they oddly enough it looked like they were carrying supplies or something . For a second Kit wondered if this was another opponent to face, but breathed a sigh of relief when she noted that Sir Jose was at the lead. The two bands marched towards each other and Kit was slightly surprised and a bit annoyed when the other group started shouting praises that Maid was alright when they drew closer. The squire guessed that some elements of this group were guards from the recently ambushed caravan.

Sir Jose rode ahead and to Kit's embarrassment, Greenpaw gave her a big sloppy dog kiss in front of everyone as it bounded the last few steps to greet her. Jose ignored his mount's affection and addressed Kit directly. "Good work Keeta. I see you have secured and set fire to the enemy camp in swift order. I myself pursued the remaining goblins and unfortunately for them, drove our enemy straight towards Sherriff Trent here's patrol. "

Kit blinked as she then noticed one of the much smaller dogs had a small chubby humanoid with a long white over coat sitting atop it in a manner similar to Sir Jose and Greenpaw. Kit had heard of mounted Halfling dog riders, but thought it was simply an amusing bar tale to bring chuckles to foreigners. She never thought to see one herself. She looked past Jose, and noticed that a half dozen of the guard dogs she spotted earlier, had similarly clad Halflings mounted on them as well. She guessed she missed them earlier due to their size and terrain matching garments.

"Sir Trent of the fifth Leeha Dogoons at your service. I heard you acquitted yourself admirably in combat. I was hunting this band for a while now, and you and Sir Jose here saved me a lot of trouble. ", bowed the Sherriff. Kit saw that he had a stern face framed with salt and pepper hair, but still had a hint of jolliness that was found in all members of his race. A large nose and glowing cheeks made the short man seem more cute than dangerous, despite the large crossbow at his back, the blade at his side, and the lance strapped to his mount.

Kit was about to reply, when she noticed that the Sherrif was addressing Maid not her. She grew a bit angry at the attention the woman was getting but admitted that her recent companion probably presented more a heroine image that she did right now. Kit was wounded and had dried blood splattered about her leather harness despite the bandages she administered to herself. She guessed her hair also looked like a mess from the repeated transformations she put it through. Maid on the other hand was still story book perfect with her long dress, and flowing curly brown hair. Kit grew a bit self-conscious as she also noted that she was short and her own figure was still quite boyish looking , while Maid had a taller more mature full body look that most men found attractive. The fact Maid was also holding a bow gave her an almost Amazonian exotic quality about her that made her the center of attention, while Kit looked more like a common bandit with her daggers at her side.

The squire glowered quietly as her pride was once again trampled on.

"Thank you Sir Trent. ", curtsied Maid politely. "However, the real credit should be given to Sir Jose's squire here. She rescued the prisoners and lead the attack that broke the enemy's morale. I was just doing the best I could with this crude goblin bow I recovered. It was a miracle I didn't actually hit any one of my allies with my wild shots. ", she explained with a smile and a wink to Kit.

Trent turned his attention to the shocked squire and began complimenting her instead of Maid. Kit smiled once again and nodded at the young woman. She was still a mysterious person , but a lot of the mistrust she had for her vanished with that simple gesture.


	3. Chapter 3

As the reformed caravan continued along the mountainous pass towards the Western Freeholds, Kitahria thought it quite amusing that her master , Sir Jose, and the Halfling outrider, Sheriff Trent , seemed to be getting along so well and were exchanging stories like old comrades. The fact that Jose and Greenpaw were bigger than the diminutive Trent and his whole patrol just seemed silly to the squire, added that they both rode dogs made the pair even more comical in her opinion.

Kit had been literally around the world at one time or another and she noted that the mount of choice for most races were horses or ponies of some sort. From the honor bound mounted lamellar warriors of the Emerald throne, to the shining ranks of the janissaries of Vinnraj, to the beautiful elven horse maidens of Alfheim , and even the famed heavy cavalry of the empire of Thyatis , the horse was the universally accepted mount of warriors. Sure there were the odd exceptions like war elephants, Pegasus, and of course magical carpets, but they were far from the norm and used only by specialty troops. However, in the Empire of Grom and the Knight Kingdoms of the north there seemed to be little consistency on the war beasts they rode. Horses were still quite commonly used as beasts of burden and war mounts of course, but the warriors seemed to develop a knack for riding a host of other bizarre beasts as well . So far Kit had seen them ride boars, mammoths, lions, giant hawks, rams, dragons, dolphins, and of course dogs.

Kit didn't mind dogs, but for some reason the frisky canines had a problem with her. Greenpaw of course always treated the young squire quite affectionately, but unfortunately he was the exception to the rule. Most other dogs seemed to sense her not quite human bloodline and often barked or snarled at her when she approached. The shaggy mounts of the Halflings were no exception, but luckily they were trained enough to only snarl and growl when she approached. Kit of course found the situation amusing, and was tempted to see how close she could edge towards them before the dogs started barking like mad, but unfortunately Sir Jose saw through her little game and warned her back with a glare.

"Something troubling the dogs today, maybe they didn't get enough goblins to bite. ", pondered Sheriff Trent as he calmed his mount.

"Most likely they smell a wayward mountain marmot, something that finds our little group curious and too stupid to keep its distance. ", added Jose loudly enough for all to hear. Kit of course giggled and noted that Maid grinned at the comment as well.

"Regardless of the reason, I see your mount seems unaffected. It shouldn't surprise me since you are a true cavalry man unlike my hot dogoons here. ", complimented Trent.

Jose sighed. "You say that as if it were a bad thing. Mounted infantry are the wave of the future. Crossbows, dragon golems, front line battle mages, and of course modern phalanx formations make deploying successful cavalry charges more and more difficult. I can see in a generation or two, pure cavalry will be a thing of the past. "

Trent shrugged, unsure if the knight was complimenting him or not. "Nonsense. An interesting theory, but I don't think you have to fear for your job anytime soon, especially with such a magnificent war beast at your disposal. "

Greenpaw barked in approval and Jose tilted his head.

Kit wasn't exactly sure what the pair were talking about, but Maid took a step closer to her and whispered. "Dragoon. "

The squire of course understood then. Dragoons were specialized infantry that employed mounts to travel quickly into strategic positions, but seldom used their steeds on the battlefield in tactical roles. They could battle on their mounts, but they often dismounted and engaged as skirmishers or light infantry. They were considered elite shock troops because of the fact that these warriors could travel so quickly and strike fear into their enemies. Kit of course was confused when Trent referred to his band as hot dogoons, and now realized it was some form of Halfling term for this type of soldier.

"So Sheriff , I must admit I did not expect to find a detachment from the Leeha Union to patrol these mountains. To be honest, I expected a Grommish Patrol or Knights from the Orders. ", noted Jose as they continued their march.

Trent chuckled at the comment. " I take it this is your first time to the Western Freeholds isn't it. I've heard that most people think that this area is some sort of colony of Grom, but that's far from the truth. It's called the "Free" holds for good reason. It is a loose collection of minor city or town states that owes no allegiance to any particular country. "

Kit nodded at the explanation but then stared at Jose. "Don't say anything stupid. Don't say anything stupid. Don't say anything stupid. ", she whispered in a vain attempt to spare her master and unfortunately herself due to association, any embarrassment. Her master was a fearsome knight, but his lackadaisical knowledge of history brought shame to both of them.

"Umm…if that's the case, why did my Order charge me to defend the Freeholds? I was told our assistance was requested. I would think that these independent city states wouldn't want a foreign power around. ", puzzled Jose much to the chagrin of Kit.

Trent shook his head. "If the Western Freeholds were established kingdoms, filled with warriors and soldiers , that would be the case. However, most of the inhabitants here are simple miners, merchants, and other tradesman. They came here mainly due to the rich untapped natural wealth in this region and also because it was unoccupied. The initial settlers were mainly dwarves, but many other races arrived afterwards. They employed mainly mercenaries for security at first and to some extent they still do, but they found them unable to cope with some of the dangers of these mountains. Fortunately for them, Ambassador Duncan of Khazag Narg established an "embassy" of dwarven warriors to help maintain the peace, influence local politics, and of course keep trade open to the dwarven kingdoms. Other countries followed suit and the area soon found itself hosting "embassies" from Grom, Thyatis, the Northern Kingdoms , and of course the Leeha union as well. The Freeholds valued their independence, but also admitted to the fact that they could not properly defend their holdings. "

Kit sighed at the brief history lesson provided, and hoped her master did not look too much like a fool. "Just nod and shut up. ", she whispered.

To the young squire's chagrin Jose opened his big mouth once again. "Wait. There's bound to be some rivalry between these embassies. I would think one country might attempt to exert their might and bring the Freeholds under their…umm fold..no…umm strings….ummm….Keeta…what's the word I'm looking for. "

"Political influence. ", groaned Kit as she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah..what she said. ", agreed Jose.

Trent nodded and sighed. " An…..astute….observation. ", said the Halfling carefully choosing his words. "However, the dangers facing the Freeholds are greater than most realize. The armed camps and fortresses established by the various foreign powers found themselves besieged by external rather than political threats. Armed bands of goblins like the ones you encountered, tribes of giants, creatures from the underdark, a growing criminal consortium….and of course dragons…have all heard of the wealth here and have recently moved into the area to claim or steal it. Skirmishes with them have taken a heavy toll . The Grommers have pretty much holed themselves up in their own fortress, the dwarves are engaged in a war with the tribes of the Fire Peaks, the Thyatian embassy to my knowledge has been destroyed by the great dragon Magda, and even the Knight's fortress of castle Zax suffered heavy losses recently. My own people have found our resources stretched to battle the growing lawlessness of the land, as my half strength patrol demonstrates."

Kit and Maid both giggled at the comment from behind.

"At least he didn't say they were short on staff, "whispered Maid with a smile.

"Or low on manpower, "agreed Kit with further giggles.

Jose shot another glaring look behind him , which silenced the girls. "Fear not Sheriff Trent. I Sir Jose, knight of the Order of the Husky has been charged by Lord Rollo himself to lend this region aid. I shall personally lead the Crusade to bring Law and Order to the Western Freeholds ! "Declared the knight proudly as once again Greenpaw reared up slightly so his master could strike a heroic pose.

"Excellent! I kind of figured that's why you were in this area. We can use all the reinforcements we can get! "Grinned Trent happily. "Shall we stop to let the rest of your expeditionary force catch up? My outriders are quite familiar with the area and they can serve as scouts instead of you and your squire . ", offered the Sherrif.

"Rest of my detachment? ", asked Jose blankly as once again Kit rolled her eyes .

* * *

To say Sheriff Trent was disappointed was an understatement. Though he didn't state it directly, Kit could see from the slump in his small shoulders and the way he bowed his head in defeat , that he wasn't pleased with the aid that was sent . He was expecting at least a company not a single knight and his squire. To her master's credit, Jose and his Master Rollo probably had no idea that the situation was so bad here . She had only met Knight Commander Rollo twice, and the aged warrior did not seem like a man that did not take his duties seriously. She was sure that if he knew the near anarchy that this region was in , he would have sent more knights to assist them. From her brief time as Jose's squire, she found that most members of the Northern Orders were quite happy to throw themselves into battle, and this area seemed a perfect battlefield to test their martial prowess.

As they made camp, Kit could see her master deep in thought. The young squire considered herself good at sensing the motives of others, but she admitted Jose was hard to read when engaged in heavy thinking. Not that he was a master of bluffing his emotions, but Kit guessed that the knight subconsciously shut off various parts of his brain so he could concentrate on formulating a plan of action. She guessed he was considering heading back to Grom to get a proper detachment or forging ahead foolishly to his doom. Of course, there was a chance that the Sheriff was exaggerating his tale, but Kit read him fairly plainly and sensed no deceit from him. If it was up to her, she would make the long journey back to Grom, raise a proper force than return. The Freeholds might be overwhelmed by then, but it sure beats getting clobbered by monsters. Judging Jose's blank expression, the young squire guessed there was a 50/50 chance of foolishly proceeding forwards.

"I didn't have a chance to thank you for earlier. You and your master fight like true heroes. ", commented a soft voice that both broke Kit's concentration and surprised her .

Kit turned and saw that once again Maid had approached and evaded her keen senses. " I was prepared to run when you two engaged that band of ogres and goblins by yourselves. I didn't think you would actually win. ", smiled Maid.

Kit shrugged. "I should be thanking you for not running and lending your bow to our cause. Also, thanks for not making a big deal of my …..", she began to say tail but Maid silenced her with a finger.

"Think nothing of it. There's no need to be ashamed of your heritage, but I know it's unwise to draw attention to it. To tell you the truth, the innkeeper's wife from my small community was a were boar and we got along pretty well, so I guess you can say I am accustomed to your people. ", explained Maid.

Kit had encountered Were ravens, were crabs, and even were cats, but had never met a were boar before. They were called Hengeyokai in the eastern lands, but they were basically the same as were creatures, or lycanthropes. Most had features similar to their animal totems, and Kit could well imagine with revulsion the gross flabby human form of this were boar woman . She guessed if Maid could tolerate such an unhygienic and fatty woman , then a pert little werefox like herself should be no problem for her to cope with. "Thanks. Besides Sir Jose, and the …umm Baroness Stille, not many people know of my background. I only revealed myself to you up on the mountain since I needed to lightly tread the snow. I couldn't exactly asked you to umm…turn around heh. ", joked Kit with a smile.

"I would have peaked anyways even if you did. ", chuckled Maid . Kit watched her , and saw there was something troubling her despite the brief brevity they shared.

"Something wrong?", she asked.

Maid stopped and her happy visage turned to a frown. "Wrong? Besides finding out that I'm headed to a possible war zone. What can be wrong? "

"You could turn back. I doubt another band of goblins are in this area, at least not currently. There's a possibility that Jose might be headed back to Grom City to seek additional reinforcements. You can wait there till a proper force can be brought into this area. ", explained Kit.

Maid shook her head. "No, its not that simple. I told you I was a barmaid right, and despite your reservations about me that's the honest truth. I wanted to go to the Western Freeholds and start a new life , open my very own inn and tavern. I even bought my own steins and glasses to give it a classy touch. However , starting a new business isn't cheap, and a bar maid doesn't pay well. "

"You took a loan I take it. A big loan I guess, most likely from a less than legitimate source. ", commented Kit with pity.

Maid nodded. "Yes from a group that you cannot run from. I can't turn back now, but the prospects of succeeding with my business if I continue seem suddenly slim as well. I…I don't know why I'm telling you all this, but I don't know what to do. ", pleaded the young woman whose eyes began to grow wet.

Kit hadn't expect this and was unsure what to do. She simply reached out and hugged the slightly older woman . " I don't know how, but I'm sure it will work out. ", she said calmly, but with little conviction in her own words.

"So we continue with our original plan? Just Greenpaw, you and myself? ", asked Kit loudly as their small band continued to march down the mountainous pass. She thought at first they would help escort the caravan till they reach one of the minor city states before turning back towards Grom City, but as they neared the Holding , Jose revealed his sparse plan. She heard her master the first time, but wanted him to repeat his command so that the rest of the caravan and Trent's patrol could hear.

"Correct. The task in front of us seems insurmountable, but not if we tackle our problem systematically. ", noted Jose .

Kit shook her head and thought Jose's brain must have been chilled by last night's cold. If Trent's assessment was accurate, it would take a small army of knights to restore the Western Freehold's stability. Not that she was against the plan, she wanted the kind hearted Maid's buisness to succeed , but she would have preferred something better than a suicide mission. "Can you explain further? What course of action shall we take? "She inquired.

Kit saw Sheriff Trent intrigued as well and noted the Halfling lean closer to hear the knight's brilliant plan. "Prepare to be disappointed little guy. ", chuckled the young squire under her breath.

"I gave this matter much thought last night Keeta, and divided our foes mentally in my head. From my discussions with the good Sheriff, I doubt our enemies are acting in unison, therefore I think we can vanquish them one at a time. After we reach the knight's fortress and determine our current strength, I will lead our brothers to uproot the remaining goblin bands, then we will move onto the giants . Afterwards, though I suspect that the dwarves in the area are better at handling any threats from the underdark than we are, we shall still lend them whatever aid we can. The matter of this so called criminal syndicate is beyond our expertise however, but we will stamp them out where we find them. Finally we shall confront the dragon Magda, with the united Freeholds behind us. " , declared Jose.

Kit stared at her master stunned. He heard him say a lot of dumb things before, but this was close to the dumbest. Each task he outlined was harder than the one previous, and she had suspicions that their enemies would not wait patiently for their turn to be vanquished. She could well imagine the Freeholds conquered by giants long before they could rid the various goblin tribes of the area. She had hoped Jose would say something reassuring to calm the already jittery caravan, but regretted her decision to get him to declare his intentions in front of everyone. She glanced at the outriders, the guards, Sheriff Trent, and even Maid and saw they all stared at her master like he was a buffoon.

"Whine….", whimpered Greenpaw. Kit sighed and saw that even his loyal trust mount thought Jose's plan was stupid.

Kit half expected the collected caravan to shout down her master , expose his folly , and shame the pair of them back to Grom City. Which was a shame, since they were near the city , and Kit wanted at least a hot bath and meal before they returned. Before the mob turned on them, suddenly one of the outriders serving as scout rode swiftly back to the camp in a panic.

"Stop ! Stop! Turn around! ", shouted the white faced Halfling .

"At attention Henry! Slow down and explain! " Barked Sheriff Trent.

"A dragon… a big winged red dragon is attacking the town. ", blurted the outrider.

Dragon? Kit had never encountered such a creature but knew of their power. From the god serpents of the far east, the ancient Linnorms of the north, and even the colossal jungle wyrms of the south, the reputation of fire breathing red dragons of the west was the most fearsome of all. The power and cruelty of these monsters knew no bounds and Kit's spine ran cold from the prospect of facing one. It was said that their teeth were like swords, their claws, spears. Their scales were like ten fold shields, the force of their wings a hurricane, and their tail strikes a thunderbolt,….and of course their breath….DEATH! This wasn't even counting their magical skills or the vast array of magical items a lifetime of plundering placed at their disposal. The entire caravan stopped and the young squire wondered if the band of them should attempt to retreat together or scatter and hope some of them could make it back to civilization.

Despite the previous insanity he babbled from his mouth, Kit looked towards Sir Jose for direction on how to escape. Instead of retreating however, the knight smirked and continued to ride forwards. "Change of plans Keeta, looks like we have to shelf the goblin killing for now. On the other hand we do get to kill a dragon first.", he declared .


	4. Chapter 4

"You don't have to leave with Sir Jose on his stupid crusade, Kit . You can stay with Martinez, "pleaded young Jim as Kitahria packed her gear tightly into her traveling case .

"I know , but I'm his squire, I belong at his side, "protested Kit with a sigh.

The short boy was a few years younger than the were fox, but she considered him one of her few true friends. The pair was the youngest in their small band, and they often found each other in each others company defending the rear or flanks, while the others were off leading the charge against monsters or demons. More often or not, the two still managed to get into trouble , but they were luckily well trained for it. Though she considered herself quite skilled in battle , Kit admitted that young Jim was quite gifted in combat as well.

"You aren't really his squire you know, at least not officially. You never went through the initiation rites or learned the traditions of his Order. You're just someone that Jose took under his wing after he freed you, " Jimmy pointed out.

Kit did not think badly of his slight, and she agreed with basically what he said. Though she wasn't Jose's squire, she owed the knight pretty much everything. He was the man that granted her life and freedom. Without him, she knew she would have either been slain due to her servitude under the demon Mogombo, or be thrown into some dark Grommish prison for her association with it. Even if she somehow evaded that fate, she was a stranger in this bizarre land, and would have probably fallen into banditry or worse to survive, till they hunted her down of course. Sir Jose took her in without question , and he treated her fairly, almost like a dysfunctional daughter. She never had family let alone a father , he was so unlike her former lord Mogombo that it inspired her to follow in the knight's path. She would not abandon him so lightly.

* * *

"You don't have to leave with that stupid Sir Jose to do battle with the dragon , Kit . You can leave with the rest of us with Sherriff Trent. We'll double around Essuria or whatever the next town is called and head to either Cauldron or the port of Sasserine. ", pleaded Maid as the rest of the small caravan began to turn from the city.

"It's folly to battle a full grown dragon in the open. They are bad enough in enclosed areas, but suicide to fight when it can fly. ", noted Sherriff Trent. " Their scales are almost impenetrable to arrows and crossbow bolts and they have innate resistance to magic. If you somehow bring a big enough force to challenge a dragon they will either use their flight to run away or attack your supplies and healers first with their mobility. Oh and let's not forget about their breath weapon, they can lay waste to ranks of archers with a single breath. ", added the Halfling grimly.

Kit knew the dangers, and nodded numbly as she raced after her lord. They were right. To confront the dragon would be both folly and stupid, but she would not abandon her lord. Under the service of the demon lord Mogombo she had faced death before , but it was normally for some trivial matter or to advance her master'power. This was different; she would face death with someone she respected. Despite her constant taunting of him, she would not abandon him so lightly.

"Keeta, I want you to guard the caravan. Sherriff Trent will probably need a hand keeping everyone safe. ", ordered Sir Jose as he rode down the path.

"Nah….I'm your squire , I should be at your side for this. ", quipped Kit as she skipped after him.

Jose frowned. "My squire eh? Then as my squire , you will do as I say. And I am ordered you to follow Sherriff Trent. ", commanded the knight.

Kit paused and considered his words. "Nah….I quit then. I'm not really your squire anyways. I didn't go through the proper initiations and learned all the traditions of your order anyways. ", she declared before skipping after him.

"Woof! ", barked Greenpaw in agreement.

Jose scowled but relented. "Okay, I guess its two on one here. I concede your right to be incinerated by dragon's fire, " laughed the knight but he swiftly fell silent.

A massive shadow fell over them, and Kit felt unimaginable terror fill her. She could only think of turning and fleeing, but Greenpaw shuffled next to her first. The young squire felt a wave of courage fill her as she stood in her lord's presence . The paladin was a bastion of bravery as he stared at the dragon overhead. The monster did not attack them, as it simply flew overhead in a wide arc. Kit felt a surge of her will power return as it left and she quickly scrambled up on some rocks to watch its flight.

From her new vantage point, she was surprised to see the walled town of Essuria so close to their position and watched as the dragon circled around its walls. She noted that the walls and the battlements had been charred and burned, along with large portions of the town , and guessed from some of the repairs the town had affected that this siege had been going on for a few weeks now. The dragon seemed to survey the damage it had inflicted previously as well, before landing in front of the town's battered gates.

"Return what is mine! ", roared the monster in an ear shattering screech. Even though she was roughly a half mile away , the scream sent a chill even into Kit's spine. The squire saw the dragon roar angrily at the gate in a less audible manner, before it unleashed a wave of fire into the structure. Arrows, ballistae bolts and even some bursts of magical energy were fired at it from the walls, but true to Sherriff Trent's prediction, the dragon fled into the air once again before it sustained any damage.

Kit noted that despite being besieged and battered the town was far from defenseless. Though blackened the walls were still thick, and with her keen vision she saw several fortified ballistae turrets , along with several mages or possibly wands at the townsfolk's' disposal . Despite this, the dragon had the distinct advantage and it would only be a matter of time till it tore the settlement down.

"Ah, I didn't believe Trent when he said it was Magda, but sure enough….there she is. The treacherous queen of flames herself, "noted Jose as he continued his march.

Kit's ears twitched at his comment, before sliding down towards him.

"You know this dragon?" She asked in disbelief.

Jose looked at her and frowned. "Your ears Keeta , " he said while pointing at his own head.

Kit snorted and shrank her ears as per his instructions. She instinctively changed them while attempting to listen in to the dragon's demands. "What about the dragon? Where did you meet it before?"

Jose shrugged. "Maybe a decade ago, when I was still a squire under Sir Rollo, we first encounter her and her mate. We tracked them down to their lair and killed the male, but Magda escaped, " explained the knight. "Actually she didn't escape. More accurately she left her …"husband"… to die. Crafty little bitch. "

Kit scratched her head. "Are you sure that's what happened? It sounds more like the male dragon sacrificed himself so she could safely flee. She doesn't sound treacherous to me, "she pondered.

Jose chuckled. "Well Keeta, I would agree with you except that's not what happened. Sir Rollo and I battled Torma, the male dragon , up and down its halls, till it retreated back to its treasure room. We followed it of course, and to our surprise Torma was bellowing in rage and betrayal when we cornered it. Seemed Magda left with their combine horde while he was battling us , which to a dragon is like chopping off a limb. If they wanted to escape, they could have both done so easily and with their belongings, but it seemed like old Magda wanted all the loot to herself. Torma of course was consumed by rage, but this gave my Lord a perfect opportunity to smite his foe. Remember fight smart, not angry …unless of course you're really really angry, " explained Jose calmly.

Kit nodded and continued to follow her own lord . The fact that Jose battled this very dragon before gave her hope in her own success. Surely her lord had a plan to vanquish this beast. "So …Jose, this dragon should be no problem for you right? You've already killed one , this one should be a piece of cake right? What's our best course of attack? " ,asked the young squire.

Jose shrugged, "Actually , of the pair, Magda was the more dangerous opponent, and we never had a chance to test our strength against hers. As for a plan….well I haven't really come up with any ideas yet. I'm welcome to suggestions though. ", admitted the knight as he continued his march towards the dragon and the town.

Kit gave her master a "are you stupid?" look, and wondered if it was still possible to run back to Trent and Maid.

* * *

Kitahria wasn't sure if Sir Jose was joking or not, but fell into a steady march behind her lord as he approached the besieged city. They were too far to charge, and even if they did she wasn't sure what that would accomplish. As they drew closer, she noticed his pace had quickened and she matched his speed accordingly. Even though she wasn't mounted, she was tireless and fairly fleet of foot. She could keep up with Greenpaw under most circumstances unless of course the massive dog was full out sprinting or charging.

As they approached Sir Jose signalled to her to take cover and be ready to follow his lead, and she responded accordingly by hiding behind a rock framed by several twisted trees. It was an innovative method of communicating on the battlefield used by Jose's countryman Martinez, and from Kit's estimation it was a combination of dwarven, heraldic, and military signs.

Kit wasn't sure what Jose's plan was or if he had any at all but unslung her short bow and nocked an arrow . She knew the pair of them were fairly lethal in melee situations, but were lacking in the missile department. Her weapon lacked the range of an elven or even a steppe warrior's bow, and she used it mainly because it was light and easy to carry. Her master had a heavy crossbow, which was fairly deadly if it hit, but it had a long reload time. While competent with its use , Jose was not an exceptional with his aim. The dragon on the other hand had numerous options available to it. It of course had its fiery breath, which seem to incinerate anything not made of stone. Kit noted that the town must have a good team of clerics to douse the fires or some other type of enchantment protecting it. Secondly the dragon had its own spells. Kit wasn't sure what spells it employed, but knew dragons were supposedly cunning and clever, it most likely had some sort of incantation to slay its foes from a distance. Finally if all else fails, a dragon can use its massive strength and its wings to drop boulders on its foes. Kit saw that several battlements had boulders on it, but also noted that few of the actual town structures were flattened by this method. Perhaps the dragon wanted to preserve some type of valuable treasure the townsfolk were hiding? As she watched Jose approach the burning town , she hoped his plan did not require the pair of them to exchange long range fire with the dragon's deadly arsenal at its disposal.

Jose gave no indication at his plan of attack as he approached. He simply tied his banner to his lance and rode confidently towards the town.

"Magda! Face me! ", he shouted defiantly. With or without her fox ears, Kit's ears were keen and her master's commanding voice carried fairly well through the mountains. The young squire wasn't sure if announcing your presence was a good idea and half expected a boulder to flatten her lord, but surprisingly the dragon circled once before landing before the knight.

"You! I know you! ", hissed the dragon with an even louder voice. From this distance Kit could see the full splendor of the dragon and the young squire admitted it was not what she had expected. It was big,much bigger than she realized. As big as a troop of elephants in her opinion. It had gleaming bring red scales that appeared almost if they were painted lacquer. From the statues and paintings of dragons that Kit had saw in Grom City, she thought it would have an oversized body and thin neck, but instead it's neck was thick and it had a lean muscular torso. The dragon's claws were curiously a bright enamel black , and she noted that the tales of them being sharp like spears was no exaggeration. Even as it landed and raked the rocky ground, Kit could see them rend the stone like a plow through dirt. It's tail was muscular as well, ending with a spade frill. Kit noted that there were sharp plates of armor attached to it, and noted to herself to watch out for its tail, if she ever had enough courage to engage it in melee. Finally , the young squire expected a reptilian head, similar to a snake's, but instead it seemed a mix between a crocodile and oddly enough a lion. Kit thought these creatures were wholly reptilian in nature, and was surprise at this distance to see it had a massive mane of golden red hair.

Sir Jose seemed to falter from the proximity of this beast, and Kit couldn't blame him. It was frightening enough at the distance she found herself watching it, she couldn't imagine how scary it would be to face the monster face to face.

"Mummbmmumbbmummm ", was all Kit heard being mumbled by her master.

"I do know you! You are Sir Rollo's whelp ! I do not know if I should thank you for ridding me of my useless mate, or devour you for daring to attack a dragon! ", laughed Magda.

"Mummmbmmmmbmmmm.", repeated Jose. She attempted to aim at the beast with her bow, but she was too scared to. She could see that Jose must have been under the same effect and she felt a deep fear for her master's and her own life.

"Speak up ! Stop mumbling worm! ", spat the dragon as it brought its head closer to peer at him.

Suddenly the paladin drew his sword, and in a second it was wreathed with holy fire. Without a word he swung it in a mighty arc and brought it crashing onto the dragon's head.

The dragon screamed a roar of pain that shook the mountains. It then recoiled back, lashing its tail in a wide defensive arc before it. Greenpaw hopped over the bulk of the tail , but was still struck by a glancing blow from the monstrous appendage. The large husky was thrown to the side but Jose nimbly hopped off it and landed on his feet.

Magda backed up and engulfed the paladin in a sheet of flame, before taking flight in a disjointed manner. Even though Jose brought up his shield in time, Kit expected her master to be a blackened skeleton in armor at that point, but amazingly the knight survived with only a few smouldering patches to his armor. Kit wasn't sure, but ironically she guessed he was employing some sort of fire resistance magical item given to him most likely from the baroness Stille. The dragon shrieked in frustration and pain, and Kit's sharp vision saw that one of Magda's eyes had been apparently maimed by Jose's holy strike.

Instinctively Kit fired her bow, and struck the dragon squarely in its muscular torso . Her shot of course bounced off harmlessly, but suddenly a volley of arrows and crossbow bolts began striking the dragon as well. Kit knew they were too far from the town for them to help them and wondered where the source of their aid was. She turned and saw Sherriff Trent, his outriders , the caravan guards, and Maid had returned and was lending what little help they could. Most of the arrows bounced off harmlessly like her own, but the young squire noted that a few crossbow bolts and some well-placed goblin arrows were drawing more dark blood from the beast. Not enough to hurt the monster significantly, but it was still a testament to the superior marksmanship of the Halflings and Maid.

Before the dragon was fully in flight, Jose ran towards the beast and managed to strike it deeply with a cut to its leg. The dragon kicked instinctively at its attacker , striking the knight and sending him flying from the blow.

Kit wasn't sure what the plan was at that point, but broke cover and ran towards the fallen Jose, while all the while firing haphazardly at her opponent with her bow. Her arrows mostly missed and the ones that did hit seem to have no effect on it, but the combined volley of missile fire being shot at the creature appeared to give the monster pause.

A cheer rose from the city as several ballista bolts were fired at the dragon as well. Due to the range they missed of course but it seemed to send panic into the dragon. Kit knew they were far from victorious, they merely forced the monster away. She could still imagine a scenario where the beast would use its maneuverability and speed to its advantage. A chill ran down her spine as she imagined Magda spitting flame onto Trent and the other archers, burning them all alive. Then it would be an easy matter to finish off Jose. Kit doubt her master would have another chance to strike at the beast from such close range again.

As the dragon flew higher and higher into the air , out of the effective range of even the mighty ballistae, a high shriek sounded from the mountains. Kit scanned for the source and saw what appeared to be a half dozen giant birds of prey descending on the dragon. The speed of their attack caught the dragon by surprise and the squire watched sharp talons and beaks slicing through even the dragon's hardened scales. Magda twisted and trashed in mid-air at its new attackers, and managed to slam one of the birds with its wings, and bite another's head off with its jaws. These new attackers did not seem fazed by the casualties they were taking and continued their attack on the dragon. Kit watched as one raked the dragon's back and even managed to peck and tear the dragon's leathery wings. The dragon roared in pain and frustration as it it grasped another one of the birds in its talons and crushed the life out of it.

Though Kit didn't notice it at first, she then saw the bird's body evaporating into a cloud of dust or perhaps leaves after it died. The young squire then understood they were some sort of summoning, and guessed that there was a spell caster in the area that also despised the dragon.

The combined effect of the birds, the possibility of a spell caster, Trent's reinforcements, and of course Jose's sight crippling blow was too much for the dragon. Kit guessed it was rarely challenged like this, and retreated instead of facing its foes. It soon soared erratically out of sight behind the mountains with a trio of eagles in pursuit.

Kit breathed a sigh of relief , the threat of the dragon was far from over, but they had won this battle. She saw Trent and his men cheer at the dragon's retreat, but focused her attention on her fallen master. She noticed that Greenpaw had recovered and was at his side. She feared the worse for him, but was relieved to find the knight struggling to his feet. Battered, bruised, bloodied, but most importantly alive.

"Wow , giant eagles appeared at the last moment out of nowhere to save the day. Who's gonna believe this tale? ", lamented the knight.

"That was your plan? Draw it close and take out its eye?" Asked Kit with a smile when she saw Jose was alright.

Jose dust himself off and then flexed his sword arm and hand. "Actually I didn't think it would get that close. When it did , I was hoping to take off its neck, but I didn't draw it in close enough." , he said with a shrug.

Sherriff Trent, his outriders, the caravan guards and of course Maid had at that point caught up to Kit and Jose. "Well done sir! I wasn't sure what one man could accomplish in the Western Freeholds, but you've shown me your merit and courage today. I apologize for ever doubting your battle prowess, "said the Halfling with a reverent bow.

Jose looked at them and scratched his head again. "Hey, I thought you guys were heading off to Cauldron or something. ", he finally said.

"We were, but we returned when we saw your squire stand at your side. We have our pride and we would be shamed if this slip of a girl stood against a dragon while we ran to save our skins, "explained the Sherriff.

Kit bristled at Trent calling him a slip of a girl, but guessed that was a fairly accurate description of her.

"We followed because we weren't going off by ourselves without an escort. ", added Maid with a wink.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hail the heroes! "

"Long live the dragon slayers!"

"Three cheers to the Crusaders!"

Kitahria was giddy with excitement and almost swooned with the praise that the townsfolk of Essuria was showering them with as they marched through town. The young squire observed that the outer defenses of the town were razed and charred, and many of the inner buildings had suffered fire damage. She laughed when she saw several matronly women give the Halfling outriders pies, and smiled when flowers from a row of young suitors were given to Maid. The fact that the dragon was not slain and merely driven off seemed to matter little to the cheering crowds.

"Wow, we never get this sort of treatment when we kill demons. We should fight dragons more often! ", noted Kit as she rode on the back of the saddle of Greenpaw.

Sir Jose snorted at the suggestion even as he gave a parade wave reminiscent of the extravagant Lord Kerr of Lower Lueders. "Do not label me a Dragonslayer , Keeta. I rather be referred to as a demon slayer than one of those over bearing pompous glory hounds. "

"Over bearing glory hounds? ", asked Kit in disbelief. Was this a test or something she thought? She had only known Sir Jose for a few years , but that description certainly fit her master to a tee. In his defense though, his friend Martinez was much worse at shining and hogging the spotlight than Jose was, but her master certainly wasn't humble in any sense of the word.

Jose nodded and misinterpreted her statement. "It's true , dragons on the average are much more dangerous than demons , devils, or even the Rakshasas that once held you thrall. The most powerful dragons are said to be able challenge demon princes of the abyss and arch dukes of the hells in single combat, but thankfully they all have one defining weakness."

"Loose scales over their heart ? overwhelming pride? Umm Dragonite? ", guessed Kit.

Jose chuckled even as he accepted a wreath of golden leaves from some merchants. " No , they are … how do you say….lagartos perezosos , " explained the knight.

"Lazy Lizards? ", translated Kit.

"Aye. There's a reason they are often referred to as wyrms. Though dragons have been known to lay waste to whole regions when the mood strikes them, most of the time the creatures sleep on their treasure hordes; demons on the other hand are fairly active in their reign of destruction. Even while hiding amongst humans , evil outsiders are always plotting their foul deeds. You of all people should know that Keeta, considering your servitude under the Rakshasa Rajah Mogombo."

Kit felt a jolt to her spine as her master named her former lord by name. Though Mogombo was slain by the duelist Martinez, the young squire sometimes felt his suffocating shadow still hovering over her.

"Demon slayer is a more necessary profession than dragon slayer, and you should do well to remember that Keeta. ", noted Jose once more.

Maid pulled herself away from her newly acquired admirers with a beaming smile and matched step with Kit. The young squire noted that she seemed quite comfortable with the attention of her small army of suitors but was remarkably skilled at evading their attentions. Kit felt a pang of jealousy as the young woman garnered most of the attention of the jubilant crowd, but oddly felt no animosity to the mysterious Maid.

"So why does he call you Keeta not Kit? Is it a nickname….or perhaps an intimate pet name? ", joked Maid slyly while Sir Jose simply snorted again and ignored them.

Kit laughed at the suggested innuendo. "Hah! As funny, awkward, and creepy, as that sounds, he calls me Keeta because it's easier to say in his native language. Despite his growing command of the common tongue , it is not Sir Joses' first language. Regardless of his relative competency in this dialect, he prefers his North Darokin ..lingo… especially in times of stress , when he is drinking , or if there was a particular saying he couldn't say correctly in common. Believe it or not, after talking with his old comrades his manner of speech has changed greatly the past few years. "

Maid pondered the statement then nodded after a brief pause. "I see, " was her only response.

"Enough.", barked Jose as their procession came to a halt. A delegation of what appeared to be the prominent townsfolk appeared ready to greet the conquering heroes.

"Thank you my lords. All of Essuria thanks you for the heroism your displayed ," gushed what appeared to be the lead merchant.

"My band?" puzzled Sir Jose. " Oh, you mean Sherriff Trent , the remaining caravan guards and the brave Maid here. They aren't…..", explained the knight but was drowned out by cheers.

" Im am Master Gregor, mayor of Essuria , and I am honored to give you the keys to the city. May Taranta give you her full blessings on your crusade in the Western Freeholds. ", declared the lead merchant once again to the roar of the crowds. Kit noted that he evoked the recently rejuvenated goddess of the hearth, and thought a warrior god would be more appropriate. Nirrodin, his twin brother Mirrodin, Linel the brave, or even the primal war god Rawk would be better suited in this instance she thought. "I am confident that this knight and the army of his comrades that will soon follow shall soon rid us of the plague of scourges that have befallen this region! ", declared Mayor Gregor to the cheering townsfolk.

Jose raised a finger in an attempt to clarify the exact number of crusaders committed but was drowned by the cheers of the delighted citizens of the liberated town.

* * *

With the ceremonies completed, Sherriff Trent and his outrider's wished Sir Jose and Kitahria good luck . They stayed in Essuria briefly , mainly to post reports and resupply before they continued their patrols of the mountains. The caravan dispersed to do their business, after showering Sir Jose with praise and monetary rewards for their rescue. After the impromptu parade, Maid was oddly greeted by an extremely stocky dwarf upon her arrival. The young woman seemed troubled by his appearance, but brushed it off when Kitahria questioned her about it.

"A business associate," was the only response Maid gave. The gruff dwarf nodded mutely in response and strangely wrinkled his nose and narrowed his eyes catlike at Kit before waving Maid to follow him.

Alone once again, Sir Jose, Greenpaw and Kit made their way to the knight's fortress base stationed in Essuria. Erland's Hold was a solid if somewhat unoriginal looking structure that was placed close to the middle of the town. From its placement, Kit guessed that either the town was built around the fort, or that the knights that first arrived here were very stupid . The outer walls of the small fortress were roughly twenty feet tall and four feet thick, ringed by battlements and supported by four guard towers as well as a sturdy barbican. The courtyard was extra wide, well suited for training and the housing of up to twenty of the exotic giant war beasts the Knights of the North were famed for riding. The inner keep towered over the rest of the fortress, standing over forty feet tall, complete with arrow slits, and to Kit's surprise magical wards to fend off teleporting attackers and scrying. After a brief exploration, Kit was surprised that the lower levels extended several levels into the earth , complete with cisterns and supply rooms; enough provisions for a full garrison to withstand a very long protracted siege.

After the euphoria of the cheering crowds, the drudgery of squire life returned to Kitahria. She had expected the Knight's stronghold to be minimally crewed, but did not expect the structure to be completely unmanned by warriors. Sir Jose tasked Kit with cleaning up the place, but thankfully a few servants the previous owners had hired remained and they dutifully kept the small keep in good repair. Regardless that there were only two of them guarding Erland's Hold, Jose was determined to get it in proper order before he continued whatever bizarre plan he had most likely concocted. Kit hoped that her master would either raise some form of mob or posse to battle the monsters that plague the area, but guessed it more likely that he would do something really dumb and fight them himself. Upon reflection of Jose's typical behavior she guessed the latter seemed more likely.

* * *

After a week of clean up; through the journals left behind, and the broken accounts from a few of the staff, Kit determined that the small detachment of knights stationed here were ambushed in a gem mine near Essuria. To the best of the young squire's deductions, there was apparently some threat there that the mine owners had asked the knights to handle. The knights that ventured there were never heard from again, and the remainder decided to strike out in force to discover the fate of their comrades. Kit of course brought this immediately to the attention of her lord.

"Jose….did you know the knights before us apparently lead two failed expeditions into the local gem mines?", asked Kit as she entered Jose make shift office. To her surprise Jose was in the company of a well-dressed young courtesan and a stocky dwarf.

"Maid! ", exclaimed Kit in excitement as it took her a few seconds to recognize her. The young woman had her rich golden brown hair done up in curls and braids, and was wearing an extravagant, but still tasteful , black and white , high corseted dress. The young squire had suspicions of the young woman, but strangely still considered her a friend.

"Keeta, you remember Maid, and this is….Pig Iron. ", introduced Sir Jose formally.

The dwarf looked at Kit and oddly hissed and mimed a scratching motion towards her.

"Umm…did he just paw at me?", asked Kit in confusion. She knew enough dwarvish to hold a brief conservation, and even knew some dwarven hand signals , but Kit admitted she had no idea what this creature was trying to say.

"Oh don't mind him. That's just Pig Iron's way of saying hi. Ummm….he's my business partner's representative. My partner is headquartered in Lower Lueders, but Pig Iron is here to make sure I'm prudent with his employer's money. ", explained Maid with a smile. Kit was doubtful of the simple explanation and she examined the young woman's closely; surprisingly she did not find any signs of duress or even misdirection.

Though Kit thought herself subtle, Maid did seem to catch a hint of Kit's doubt. "Don't worry. Though the source of my funding is admittedly suspect, my business is quite legitimate I can assure you. I took the liberty in cashing in on our brief brush with fame, and called my newly opened establishment the Dragonslayer's Inn and Tavern. It is doing quite well thank you, and Pig Iron here has actually been quite helpful doubling as both my financial backer and a bouncer. "

"That's wonderful news Maid!" exclaimed Kit balancing her growing doubts with the thought of free or perhaps discounted drinks and food.

"That's great and all, but I assume this visit isn't a social one. ", interjected Sir Jose.

The dwarf nodded and began alternating clawing , hissing, purring, and wriggling its nose.

"Umm…can anyone translate that?", asked Jose as he scratched his head in puzzlement.

Maid sighed. " Although my business has been doing well, the other day Pig Iron here detected something odd in the cellars. At first I didn't hear a thing, but I trust his dwarven senses on anything having to do with the underground. I grew up with a trio of dwarves, and I am well aware of their heightened abilities while beneath the earth's surface. They claim they can hear through ten feet of solid stone you know. Sure enough, as I probed closer I heard faint sounds in my cellar. Pig Iron claims they sound like goblins. "

"So you came to us first?", asked Maid as she contemplated the dubious story.

"Well….we went to the Essurian militia first but they scoffed at us. So we turned to you guys. ", admitted Maid.

Kit nodded at the explanation. If she was in Maid's position she would have most likely done the same.

* * *

Jose of course agreed to an investigation, and the group soon marched to the Dragonslayer's Tavern. It was an impressive sturdy building of mostly stone construction, and was almost half the size of Erland Hold's inner keep. Kit was a bit annoyed there was a stylized silhouette of a knight riding a dog on the Inn's sign, but no representation of a squire to be seen. Despite the two business partner's absence at the bar , the establishment was quite busy . A roar of welcomes for Maid as she returned told Kit that the charismatic woman was one of the primary sources of the tavern's initial success. Kit smiled in amusement when she saw the crystal steins and mugs that they had rescued were being put to good use. She also noted that despite the business's name, not many of the patrons recognized Sir Jose as he entered.

Pig Iron pushed aside the adoring patrons and lead the small group to the tavern's cellar. Kit observed that unlike the plain construction of Erland Keep, this building was most likely constructed by dwarves. The interlocked tiled bricks, the arched pillars, and the vault like appearance of the basement was a good indication of the identity of the Tavern's stout builders.

The broad dwarf walked towards an unassuming wall and began pawing at the mortar.

"What the hell is he saying?" complained Jose as he stared baffled at the dwarf.

"He's talking in Cat. ", shrugged Maid cryptically.

"Cat? Like the cute furry pets? ", asked Kit. Maid nodded in acknowledgement. " Is that even a language? ", added the young squire.

Before Maid could reply Jose held out a hand and the group fell quiet. No sound could be heard by human ears but Kit's improved senses did detect something. The exact source could not be determined though. Kit watched Pig Iron carefully and then she took a step behind an arched pillar to obscure his vision of her. She then grew out her ears to enhance her hearing further and listened to the sounds again with her now almost supernatural hearing.

In the darkness Kit heard the sounds of several beings talking in a harsh , high pitched language. Though it wasn't one of her stronger languages, she not only recognized it as goblin but could make out a few words. She swiftly relayed what she could make out to the group. " There are several of them, roughly a half dozen, they are complaining about… moving eggs….and talking about their new prisoner. ", she listened further but the voices trailed off." That's it."

Jose nodded. Kit was sure that her master heard nothing, but also knew he trusted her ears. "Does this mean anything to anyone? ", the knight asked.

Kit shrugged. She saw that Maid shook her head, while Pig Iron appeared to yawn and stretch .

"Can you spot an entrance or some type of opening mechanism?", asked Jose as he probed the wall futilely. No one responded as they continued to stare at the bricked partition.

"Suggestions?", sighed Jose in frustration.

Pig Iron grinned through his bushy beard and raised a pick axe.

* * *

Despite Maid's horror at the prospect of tunneling through her basement , the young innkeeper grudgingly accepted her business partner's decision. Admittedly a hole was bad for for her investment, a goblin invasion however was infinitely worse. Pig Iron swiftly dug a small hole roughly two feet deep while Kitahria used her hearing to listen for patrols. Thankfully there was none and the dwarf soon dug through the tiled bricks and several feet of rock, allowing access to what appeared to be a long passage, tangent to their own.

"Is this a goblin invasion tunnel ? ", asked Maid as Sir Jose was the first to squeeze through the breach.

The knight gave no reply as he waved Kit to follow. The young squire easily ducked then slipped through the hole easily. She checked herself as she almost scampered through but carefully refrained from doing so; she didn't want her feral nature revealed to the dwarf afterall. She didn't mind Maid knowing, but her strange business associate was a different manner.

"Keeta…..your ears. ", noted Jose with a sigh as he shook his head.

Kit rustled her ears in disbelief and turned red when she realized she had once again forgotten about them.

"It's OK, Kit. Pig Iron already told me he can smell ….your, how shall we say, wild bloodline. ", smiled Maid as she appeared next to the embarrassed squire. Kit noted that she did not notice the young woman go through the tunnel. With a flick of the innkeeper's delicate finger she playfully toyed with Kit's long furry ears , much to the were fox's chagrin.

Kit sensed danger throughout the tunnel and was about to suggest to Maid, that perhaps she should wait outside, but from her short association with the resourceful innkeeper, she knew that her warning would be futile . Maid did not appeared to be armed or armored, but her stance and calm made her seem perfectly adapted to her surroundings.

Lastly , Pig Iron muscled his way through the entrance he made. Though it was wide enough for even the broad shouldered Sir Jose to squeeze through, the dwarf struggled to power his way in. After a few more bricks were dislodged though, the mysterious mute dwarf eventually made his way in; a snarl on his hairy face and a golden bastard sword in hand. Kit noticed that like almost all members of his race, the dwarf was already armored in a simple serviceable iron breastplate with leather greaves . The squire had rarely encountered their ilk in the empires in the east, and found the militant race very curious. She heard that armor was considered second skins to these stout creatures but thought the stories were merely rumors till now.

"Is this some kind of invasion tunnel? And if it is, why didn't they storm through already? Are they amassing their strength?", asked Kit as she was examining the tunnel.

Maid examined the walls and the floor then shook her head. "It's been here for a while, I suspect it to be either an escape tunnel or some type of smuggler's passage. It's definitely not a part of the underdark though. ", noted the innkeeper with a hint of authority.

Jose considered their comments and waved them to the left of the tunnel. He lead the way with sword and shield in hand. Kit guessed the direction they were heading would lead them closer into the town . She wasn't sure what to expect but drew and readied her kukris. She twirled one of her curved blades casually as she followed her lord, with Maid behind her, and Pig Iron bringing up the rear. A week was much too long to be out of action she thought merrily as they descended into the darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

Though Sir Jose was officially Erland's Hold's master, Kitahria was the person running it . The young squire felt a strong sense of pride when she ordered the servants and workmen around the keep. Kit was surprised that she enjoyed the responsibility and control when she made the daily job lists for the small group of retainers that the keep employed. She had to admit to herself that the challenge of managing and the bookkeeping for the small fortress gave her a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.

All this of course happily vanished as the small band moved silently through the goblin tunnel. Kit could feel the adrenaline pumping through her blood as her senses heightened and her reflexes honed. She clinically judged every shadow and sound as she stalked down the passage. Her kukris felt alive in her hand almost like they were extensions of herself, as she twirled them to test their balance and weight. Despite her recent pleasant brush with the administrator's life, she had to admit she was a born predator and killer. The thought of battling goblins, or whatever creatures lied ahead, filled her with something akin to a savage bloodlust. The thrill of the coming battle especially after her long civilian lethargy, made her feel alive and powerful once more.

"Settle down Keeta, "warned Sir Jose as the grizzled knight sensed his squire's excitement. Kit nodded in concession. She almost laughed out loud at his order, since she knew her lord craved action more than she did. She saw him practicing and pacing all last week, and she knew he was on the edge as well. Kit realized that underneath her lord's calm exterior was a raging blood thirsty berserker, he was just better at hiding it than herself.

"I'm not an expert on goblins, but this tunnel is a bit tall isn't it?", asked Maid .

Kit thought over her statement and nodded in agreement. " She's right. They would have to stand on each others shoulders to reach the roof."

Jose shrugged. "There are many type of goblins you know. They are like dogs, they come in many breeds and varieties. "

Pig Iron clawed the air and wrinkled his whiskers in agreement.

"Umm yeah…Besides the common goblin; there are the infernal shape changing barghests, militant hobgoblins, the aquatic koalinth, and of course the dreaded bug bear. ", explained the knight.

"Bug bear? ", chuckled Kit ." Goblins don't look anything like insects or bears. Why would anyone named that particular breed 'bug bears'?"

"A bug bear is a really big goblin, taller than myself , but shorter than an ogre. It's covered in fur and is freakishly strong. Besides its obvious physical attributes. It's most frightening characteristic however is its ability to move silently and to blend in shadows . Its favored attack is to strike terror into their foes as they appear seemingly from thin air. ", snorted Jose. Kit wrinkled her nose at the lesson, she saw that even Maid and Pig Iron seemed unamused at the knight, since the innkeeper stopped and shook her hand vigorously, while the dwarf was turning around swiftly, seemingly in a comical dance chasing an invisible tail. "I'm surprised you don't know this already, since you did fight one in that goblin valley last week," added the knight.

Kit pondered his statement then stopped. "Wait…that big white one was a bug bear? I thought it was a warlord goblin or chieftain of some sort; some goblin that ate a lot", she saw Pig Iron was facing directly opposite from the rest of the group now with his golden bastard sword drawn, while Maid was crouched to the side waving her hand repetitively backwards, barely visible even for her keen eyes. She was hissing something but Kit could not make it out. "Hey you don't suppose those bear bugs crafted these tunnels do you? "

Jose was about to reply when suddenly over a half dozen pale fur goblins, almost seven feet tall a piece seemed to emerge from the darkness; malice filled their eyes , while cleavers, axes, and crude blades were firmly in their hands.

Pig Iron was the first to engage the horde of tall furry goblins. The dwarf hissed menacingly as he swung his golden bastard sword in a wide deadly arc, that seemed to fill the whole corridor. Kitahria expected him to cleave three of the monsters at once, but surprisingly the creatures hopped back with viper like agility. After the dwarf finished his swing, Kit saw that he had overextended himself and gasped as three of the bugbears moved in to counter attack. The squire charged the goblins to help relieve the temporarily defenseless dwarf, but Pig Iron was far from helpless. The broad dwarf lowered his head and hopped, almost jumping at the first bug bear, smashing the top of his head into the lead goblin's gut. The surprise attack caught the monsters collectively off guard as their vanguard doubled over and reeled from the powerful head to belly strike.

Kit took the opportunity to first dodge, then weave to the side of one of the bug bears she was flanking. She slashed at it once across the arm causing it to flinch and recoil from the pain. Kit saw an opening as it drew its arm back and stabbed with her second blade through the back of the creature's hand, causing it to drop its jagged sword. The big bugbear screeched and amazingly pivoted around and swung his other arm at the young squire. Kit was prepared to duck, but was caught off guard by its speed. The monster spun with unnatural grace and managed to backhand her across the face with its club like arm. Kit's limited invulnerability held against its blow, but the force of the strike knocked her backwards , slamming her head into the tunnel wall. Though her skin resisted the collision once again, the young squire's vision was blurred by the hard blow she took. She fell to her knees, even as she struggled to regain her balance . Though her skin would save her from its regular attacks, she knew full well that she would not last under repeated battering from this large creature. Kit attempted to shake off her cobwebs and time either a dodge or most likely a simple roll to escape its next strike. Instead of a strike with its powerful arms , it unexpectedly kicked her full force in the stomach. Kit groaned in pain and fell to her haunches. She awaited another strike but curiously none came.

"Get up…..Get up Kit. " pleaded Maid as she held the previously dropped jagged blade in both her hands. Kit saw the weapon was bloody and she was standing over the attacker that was kicking her. The squire glanced and saw the dwarf and Sir Jose fighting side by side standing atop two more of the slain furry goblins. The two warriors were using their weapon's longer reach to keep their foes at bay. As Kit's minds cleared she guessed that after the initial shock attack by the bugbears, the dwarf's tunnel fighting and her master's phalanx fighting discipline kept the tall lanky goblins at bay. The two sides seem precariously stalemated, but a hint of motion from behind distracted the squire.

The outline of a particularly large bugbear appeared out of the darkness behind Jose and Pig Iron. Kit did not know how the creature snuck around them, or in front of them as the case maybe , but she knew it was behind their lines. From their skill at stealth she guessed an outflank by the monster at this time could well turn the tide of battle.

With a growl she pushed herself off the ground and launched herself at the latest foe. She had not recovered her kukris yet but she lengthened her teeth and claws to compensate. Her feral attack caught the large goblin off guard as she slammed into it from the side. Despite the fact her opponents was triple or most likely quadruple her weight, she landed heavily on its shoulder and staggered it, before she bit into its neck like a wild beast. The bugbear flailed wildly at its unexpected attacker and struck her with its ham like fists.

Kit yelped in pain as the monster drew blood despite her enchanted skin. She caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a silver ring on its hand, and she cursed the fact that this creature was too cheap to afford proper gold jewelry. Despite her vulnerability to silver and the resultant growing number of wounds that were inflicted by it, the fox girl held viciously to the big goblin's throat, weathering his vicious strikes to her head and side.

It seemed a losing battle against the giant bugbear , but Kit hoped that it would buy her lord enough time to break the enemies main ranks. Thankfully, Maid had followed the squire's charge and took the opportunity to stab the big bugbear while it was preoccupied with its deadly grapple with the squire. The creature screamed and lost its balance, giving Kit the chance to twist around its back, bleeding the goblin further from her neck hold. The monster struggled against its two attackers, but eventually collapsed from the toll Maid's jagged blade and the fox girl's sharp teeth were extracting.

As Kit staggered back from her slain foe, she saw that Sir Jose or Pig Iron had dispatched two more of their opponents. The big bugbears death was apparently the last straw however, as the remaining monsters turned and ran. Pig Iron was too short and slow to take advantage of their flight, but Jose easily stepped forward and sliced a fleeing bugbear in back of it's ankle. The creature stumbled from the perfectly executed attack and fell to the ground , but before it landed the knight quickly recovered from his strike and thrust his blade through the monster's back in a single fluid motion . Kit was always in awe of her lord in battle, especially when he used his broad sword with the grace as a rapier. The big goblin he struck down thrashed weakly for a few seconds before it remained still.

Kit reverted back to her mostly human form and though her vision was blurred from blood, she counted five bugbears around Pig Iron and Jose plus the two Maid and herself killed. She guessed maybe two more escaped their brief skirmish. Kit saw her master consider pursuit of their prey but glanced back at his companions and instead sheathed his blade. The squire saw Pig Iron covered in jagged cuts and wounds, but shrugged off the blood and his injuries as a normal human would shrug off say rain. Maid had a few lacerations to her arms, but did not seem too concerned with them as she helped bandage the dwarf. Jose's heavy armor and his superior shield skills saved him from any significant wounds , but the squire saw a look of concern on his face. He unexpectedly rushed to Kit's side and sat her down gently.

Kit looked at herself and saw she had heavy gashes from where the big bugbear struck her . She felt a bit light headed from the loss of blood but was kind of disappointed in herself since only one of the furry goblins did this to her. " Sorry ", she croaked as she struggled to control her breathing.

Despite her fear of admonishment from her master, Jose had a relieved look on his face. He placed both his large hands on Kit's small head and she could feel a warm energy flow through her. Though he wasn't a skilled healer, the knight could still wield divine energy. Jose was better at using it to smite evil creatures, but on occasion Kit had seen him cure light to moderate injuries. It was a seldom used skill for him, since he often relied on the much more competent Baroness Stille to heal wounds, but she was gone now and Kit was thankful he was at least competent in the healing arts.

"Sorry for being bested by a mere goblin, "repeated Kit dejectedly in a more coherent voice."He cheated…he had a silver brawler's ring," she pouted.

Jose grinned and pointed at the bugbear she had bitten to death. "Now that's a chieftain or warlord," pointed out the knight as he helped her out. " Oh and your ears are showing again Keeta," he added before tending to the wounds of the others.

* * *

"When I do this…", demonstrated Maid as she waved her hands in a repetitive motion backwards, "that means ..GET BACK…..DANGER….", explained the Innkeeper.

"Normally we just hold our palm straight out at chest level ", explained Jose as they decided to take the time to coordinate signals. Though Kit should have been mad, it did seem to make sense that Maid was unaware of most adventurer conventions. After all she claimed to be a simple waitress from a small settlement from the north. Kit noted she conveniently ignored the fact she was quite skilled at hiding and engaging enemies from the rear, like a thief or rogue might.

Pig Iron for his part was rubbing his beard against the knight's side while purring. Something that seemed perfectly in character for the strange dwarf , but still caused Kit to giggle both from the absurdity of his behavior and the awkward look on her master's face.

"Pig Iron says you're a good warrior, " explained Maid. Kit wasn't sure if she was making up the translation but accepted her statement none the less. " He says he has fought side by side with gods and legends, and you match well with their skill . "

"Umm…thanks I guess. ", noted Jose in a dismissive tone. Kit certainly did not believe the dwarf's statement and she guessed Sir Jose did not as well.

"Should we make our way back to the Tavern? Those remaining bugbears might have fled there ," commented Kit as she finished wiping the drying blood from her armor and skin.

"I doubt those goblins will risk another engagement. They have no clue what reserves we left behind," explained Maid. Kit smiled since they left zero reserves behind. "We could show our findings to the militia, but they ignored me once and I bet they'll ignore me again. I say we press onwards in our original direction. I want to see what the goblins are up to. Whatever it is, it's certainly not an invasion tunnel or else they would have already swarmed us by now. It's obvious that it's important enough to have bug bear patrols guarding it though. "

Jose nodded and motioned their small band to reform once again in their previous marching order. "Onwards! ", he declared as he strode into the darkness.

* * *

After roughly ten minutes of travel, the straight passageway ended at a stout reinforced wooden door , with a peculiar small viewing slot at roughly a bug bear's eye level. Kit thought it curious since it appeared the door was barred from this side. Was it some sort of prison on the other side, were the goblins using this to hold some sort of monster at bay?

Pig Iron seemed to recognize or know what this set up was and dropped to all fours while clawing the dirt , then he began playing with an visible ball of some sort.

"Can you really understand what he's saying? Are you sure he's not …umm…crazy or something. ", asked Jose dubiously.

Maid nodded. "He's speaking in cat. Don't ask me why he talks this way , or how I can understand him, it's just a talent I have, "explained the innkeeper. "Currently he's saying that it's similar to a smuggler door of some sort. Used mainly by criminal cartels to keep some distance from their…clients. An artificial veil that separates the crooks from those they do business with."

Kit regarded her statement and then it dawned on her. "Is Pig Iron a member of the Dwarven Teamsters? "Maid or the dwarf gave no reply, but their silence was enough for the clever squire. "He is , isn't he! That's the source of your cash for your inn isn't it? " Publicly the Dwarven Teamsters were a group of predominantly dwarven associates that engaged in barely legitimate businesses; mainly weapon running, drug shipping, insurance protection, consorts, and of course high interest loans. Kit thought they were an unsavory lot, but knew there were much more nefarious and shadowy crime syndicates out there.

Maid sighed. "Yes, you found me out. Are you happy? I like being a barmaid, but it doesn't pay enough to make my dreams come true. I want my own Inn, a new start , a new life. Everyone says that the Western Freeholds are a land of opportunity and I intended to stake my claim here. However, good intentions and hard work doesn't make the world go round. I need gold, and ….Pig Iron's employer … was generous enough to provide me with a loan. I won't get into the details about the rates or morality of my agreement, but I agreed to it , and I'm old enough to handle my own business," defended the Innkeeper.

"Enough!", interrupted Jose. "You can argue about ethics later. Right now we are in the middle of a passage way, possibly crawling with more bugbears. It wouldn't surprise me if they are mustering more of their numbers as we speak. Judging by the fact that this door is still barred from this side, I doubt any of them alerted whoever is on the other side here. Let's find out what it is , clear out this area and then double back to greet our hosts with our flanks secured. "

Kit nodded in agreement and twirled her blades once again in anticipation. She had pride in her skills, and was a bit crest fallen from her performance in the last fight. She thought herself speed and agility were equal to Sir Jose's power and armor, but the last skirmish did little to reinforce her belief. Despite Jose's assurances that she had beaten a bugbear chieftain of some sort, the squire was determined to show her lord her true bravery ,skill and ferocity in battle.

* * *

"EEEEEEKKKKK!", shrieked Kitahria as she literally scampered behind Pig Iron. "Keep it away! Keep it away! ", she pleaded as the squire was shaking in fear at the sight before her.

After unbarring the door, the group found themselves to be in a cellar of some sort, similar in construction to the one underneath the Dragonslayer's Tavern. Instead of barrels of wine and beer however, this area seemed more like a merchant's warehouse. The group noted nothing out of the ordinary, finding mostly various food stuffs, trade ingots, and bolts of cloth, so decided to go up the stairs to find the inhabitants of this abode.

After they found the stairs, Maid signaled them to halt with their newly agreed upon hand signals . A ferocious looking cougar sized black cat seemed to be chained to the base of the stairs serving as a watch animal, and it might have well pounced and raked one of the group had the innkeeper hadn't alerted them of its presence. Kit was impressed that Maid's perception skills was somehow greater than hers, but was thankful to her since they did not 'trigger the trap' so to speak.

At first, Kit though the cat was oddly peculiar. She saw it wasn't just black, but almost murky in nature. Judging by where its shadows were and where it appeared to be standing, she immediately deduced that it was giving off some sort of illusion to cloak its true location. Kit thought it a handy power in combat to have, since its foes would have trouble pin pointing its location , as well as giving the creature an advantage to strike its foes from their unprotected flanks. As she observed the shadowy creature more she suddenly noticed it had two long extra appendages on its back and a cold terror took her.

"EEEEEEEKKKK!" shrieked Kitahria again , much to the annoyance of the rest of her group. " Maid, come back here with me, it might target you as well! On second thought all of you get back as well! It won't differentiate women and men, the young or the old, or the beautiful from the ugly , once its hormones go to over drive , no one is safe! ", exclaimed the terrified squire.

"Well, there goes the element of surprise," grumbled Sir Jose as he drew his sword and shield ." Look Keeta, it's just a displacer beast. Sure it might look scary , but it's really not that tough. It's just a funny looking hunting cat with an unusual power. It's not even an apex predator like say, a giant penguin, or a polar bear. Both I might add, I've seen you face and defeat before. We can avoid it by just staying out of its reach. Look , it probably can't even hurt you since it doesn't have silver tentacles.", noted the knight as he pointed to the approximate location of the chained shadowy tentacle cat.

"EEEEEEKKK!" shrieked Kit once more as Jose mentioned the word tentacles. Despite Maid rushing to her side and attempting to calm her and Jose's strong aura of courage, the young squire was hysterical with fear. "It has tentacles, it has tentacles! I've heard enough tales to know how this is going to end! I don't want to get tentacle raped and have every one of my orifices plugged by that thing! "

Kitahria didn't want to admit it , but there were some things she could not confront. She wasn't particularly afraid of death, and she had overcome dragon terror, but tentacle beasts were something completely different. Though she left her homeland of the Emerald Throne at an early age, she had heard awful stories of young school girls and maidens being sexually abused and impregnated by horrible tentacle monsters in the most terrible manner. Every tale involving cute young women seemed to degenerate into some ghastly account where the girls would be defeated and ended up being grappled, groped,and then gangbanged by tentacles before becoming submissive playthings to these monsters. She knew they were only stories of course, but they instilled in her a deep subconscious fear of anything long, and prehensile. She considered herself cute, she was definitely young, and if it were not for her profession she would be still be in school after all; perfect prey for any tentacle monster. She suspected her old Rakshasa master Mogombo knew of her fear and had summoned a chain devil to seemingly keep her in line with terror. Since leaving his service she thought she was freed of such horrors, but faced with this so called 'displacer beast' was all it took to reduce her to a small quivering girl.

"Look you dumb chica, this thing ain't gonna screw you, it just wants to bite your head off. ", growled Jose as he slipped briefly into his rough North Darokin accent. "It's just a blurred tentacle cat…sheesh. It's even chained for Nirrodin's sake. It relies on its displacement to catch prey unaware , and when you take that away it's a just an estupido monstruo! " To demonstrate the chained creature's powerlessness the knight took aim with his crossbow and shot it. He missed a few times but scored a hit with his third shot , causing the beast to scurry back into some kennel hidden beneath the stairs.

"That's quite enough I think! ", declared an authoritative voice from atop the stairs. "Trespassing on my property and now assaulting one of my pets..what has this town come to . Guards …seize them! "

Though the tentacle demon had retreated, Kit was still shaken with fear. She glanced up past Pig Iron and her jaw dropped as she saw Mayor Gregor atop the stairs with a platoon of grim faced militia men storming down.


	7. Chapter 7

Kitahria kept one watchful eye on the militia descending the stairs, and her other nervous eye on the tentacle feline chained to the wall. Though the twenty or so guardsmen were armed to the teeth, Kit was more concerned about the lewd monster staring at her with its hungry feline gaze. Even if the guards were somehow armed with silver weapons, or in the more likely event they simply overpower her and restrain her with their sheer numbers, she was more concerned about the thing on the wall that Sir Jose had called a displacer beast. Thoughts of its lustful tentacles raking and capturing her young nubile body sent her into a terrifying state of hysteria.

Despite her fear, Pig Iron brandished his golden bastard sword menacingly towards the militia while Maid had produced and aimed a formerly unseen crude goblin goblin bow at them. The basement seemed ready to explode into more violence but Sir Jose strode ahead to meet them. Kit expected her master to begin the battle in earnest, but instead he raised his hand.

"Stop now, or suffer the consequences," the knight demanded.

Mayor Gregor glared down the stairs, unimpressed by Jose and his band. " You do not scare us, my men are seasoned veterans. Do not forget we kept the dragon Magda at bay for two weeks. "

Jose raised an eyebrow." I might add that my squire and I are the ones that actually drove the dragon away. So if you and your men have a quarrel with us …in your well stocked warehouse I might add….we will be more than happy to oblige."

Mayor Gregor considered his words briefly than held out his hand at well. "Halt," he declared while glancing at his stored goods. "Perhaps this a misunderstanding after all. I believe he is a reasonable person. We can discuss the situation we find ourselves in like civilized men I believe."

Jose nodded and waved Pig Iron and Maid to stand down. The pair was wary but lowered their weapons reluctantly as ordered. Even though the knight was not their leader, his commanding presence was hard to ignore. Kit did not need to heed his order since she was already cowering from the midnight cat creature, and was all too happy when they were escorted past it.

When they left the displacer beast's sight, a sense of normalcy returned to the young squire and she breathed a sigh of relief. She was now ready for a battle, but thankful that it wasn't near that particular monster. She trotted next to her master's side and nodded to him with her virtue and maidenhood intact.

"I'm impressed. I would have expected you to pound the aristocracy out of that fat bug bear loving mayor by now," , teased Kit as a bit of her normal overconfidence returned.

Sir Jose did not seem to acknowledge her but simply stared at Mayor Gregor in front of him. "There's still plenty of time for that, but I have a few questions to ask first, "he suggested quietly with a wolfish grin.

* * *

Kit did not particularly like anyone in positions of authority. Perhaps it was some racial fear passed by her were fox ancestry or more likely it was due to the fact she was a servant to a demonic anarchist for most of her life. Regardless of the reason of her distaste for them, Kit thought them all as arrogant and self-important fakes, which took advantage of those they lorded over. Besides Sir Jose , she treated them all with a disrespectful degree of contempt, and Mayor Gregor was no exception.

As they were lead to what could best be described as a large sitting room, Kit gazed at the treasures Gregor had acquired. Statues made from excotic plants and stones, gold and silver decorations smithed by master craftsmen, furniture made from rare woods, and odd trinkets that glowed and levitated with a faint magical power. Kit was not impressed by this collection of wealth that the mayor had amassed; she had seen better hordes of ill-gotten booty in her travels, but she did note with slight curiosity that many of the items were inscribed with blood , had hidden demonic script, or worse had subtly hidden obscene acts portrayed on them. The young squire motioned to Sir Jose towards these items, and he nodded with a stern knowing look.

"I apologize for this meeting Sir Jose. I must admit it looks bad that you find us consorting with the very monsters that plague the countryside, but I assure you there is a perfectly rational reason for this. You will find the politics of the Western Freeholds is much more complex than the hack and slash policies of Grom or even the Northern Kingdoms, " began the Mayor as the group settled in.

"That is the reason I stayed my blade. I prefer to hear your explanation of why you have dealings with the bug bears rather than the monsters engaging you in mindless combat, " said Jose. Kit rolled her eyes at the obvious lie. From her brief service under the knight she noted that her master's hand was far from his sheathed blade but she could see it tense and ready to spring towards it in a second.

"Is your party thirsty? I have wines and ales from around the continent. You are from North Darokin are you not? Can I offer you some of your famous fermented Agave worm juice? "Offered the mayor as he momentarily evaded the question. A young servant entered the room with a silver platter, bearing several bottles of wine and glasses , as well as a crystal decanter of the fore mentioned golden liquid with several glass tumblers.

Kit eyed the platter cautiously but her keen nose did not detect any poison . She simply shook her head as she did not enjoy the taste of alcohol. Pig Iron however, grabbed one of the wine bottles, uncorked it crudely with his teeth, and took a deep swig. Maid was more polite and indicated to the servant which cordial she wanted, which the man promptly poured. The young squire expected her master to go straight for the agave worm juice, but he settled only for a glass of wine instead. Kit was always unnerved by the strange disgusting sounding concoction and knew it was Jose's favorite drink, so she was surprised when the knight refused to sample the beverage. Kit approved his restraint though,especially after watching it ruin the relationship between Sir Jose and the Lady Stille . She wanted him to have nothing to do with it anymore.

Mayor Gregor relaxed a bit as his guests enjoyed his hospitality, Kit smiled in amusement as she assumed he didn't realize how suddenly the calm atmosphere around them could change. "I knew you weren't like the others the first time I saw you. The other knights….they judged so quickly and harshly, bad for ..business ...you know."

Kit considered the fat mayor's hinted words, and a thought came to her head. Did Gregor have something to do with the other knight's disappearance?

Before she could voice her thoughts, Pig Iron's sparse hair around his ears began to stand atop his head, and his beard seemed to straighten out . The dwarf began to growl audibly like an angry beast at Gregor.

The militia men posted discreetly at the entrances of the sitting room went for their weapons, but Maid stood up and diffused the situation simply with a smile. "Diplomacy is not our ally's strong point, he wishes to know if the business you mention is the umm…", began the innkeeper but paused as she attempted to translate for the dwarf. " err….invisible hand….the guild of the raven …or perhaps the …umm inked dragons. Sorry for the translation, I'm not sure what he's saying exactly. "

Kit knew though. The dwarf had described various criminal cartels or thief guilds. She knew little of them save their exotic names, but she suspected the Inked Dragons was the title of the dreaded Yakuza from her homeland. She was a bit surprised to hear that their reach extended all the way to these foreign lands.

Gregor seemed taken aback, but quickly recovered his composure and stared at the dwarf. After a few seconds he nodded at the strange warrior. "I see you keep interesting company Sir Jose. To answer your friend's question, we are loosely affiliated with the Hand. Invisible or not, it is the source of much of the prosperity in these lands. Who do you think provided the funds to erect these walled towns in the middle of nowhere? Who do you think provides us with the money to afford these luxuries in this god forsaken land?"He asked while gesturing to the treasures around them.

"Umm…the miners and their hard work? " Quipped Kit, no longer able to contain herself. The speech by the mayor did nothing but confirm her thoughts on those in power, she thought disdainfully.

The mayor wrinkled his nose at the young squire. "It is true, the miners provide the hard work, and the materials we sell to our backers, but your simplistic view of the economy does nothing but reveal your embarrassing lack of knowledge," scoffed the mayor much to Kit's chagrin. " Someone needs to organize and protect the caravans, someone need to regulate the merchants and their sales, someone has to ensure the flow of commodities are regulated at a fair price to all, lastly someone needs to protect the town from the monsters that infests these mountains. "

Kit fumed at the fat man. She had heard this speech before. The rich and corrupt always made excuses to steal from the poor. One of the few things she enjoyed from her life under the evil spirit Mogombo, was that she often was given the task to extort money and concessions from such mercantile parasites. Though her former master was thoroughly evil, there was some sort of poetic justice from preying on these particular economic parasites.

Sir Jose sensed his squire growing rage, and gave her a warning glance. Kit controlled her anger as ordered and awaited her master's command.

"I assume that's why the goblins do not raid Essuria directly then? Even with your walls, they can always strike the outlying mines . You have an agreement with them, that's why they only attack caravans, or at least the ones that have not paid for your protection. In fact , if your associates actively target those that do not deal with you, it might drive up your little insurance side buisness, " commented Jose calmly.

Kit saw that the knight's explanation did not settle well with Maid, and it was her turn to restrain companion. She suspected the innkeeper had lost a few friends when her caravan was attacked by the raiders. She touched the innkeeper's hand slightly and the young innkeeper calmed slightly.

"An astute observation and I applaud your perception. It does encourage our reluctant clients, especially if they drive past a few razed wagons here and there, "laughed the Mayor, still oblivious to the danger around him. Despite his armed guards surrounding the room, Kit guessed the man would last only a few seconds if combat broke out. " It is true but our exact situation will pleasantly surprise you. Even though I am only a minor associate of the so called 'Invisible' Hand we do enjoy their protection and their clout when dealing with the monstrous hordes. Our mines and merchants are guarded against the dangers of the mountains; in return we supply them with supplies and some odd esoteric shipments from foreign lands. Believe it or not , we even receive additional payments from the monsters for this service ! Imagine , they pay us and in return our town is safe from harm. "

"Except of course the dragon, "noted Jose.

The mayor frowned and agreed reluctantly. "Yes, that damned dragon Magda was most certainly bad for business. You can't account for acts of gods and dragons I suppose."

Pig Iron clawed the air and wrinkled his nose at the comment. Maid seemed slightly confused but a hiss and a purr from the dwarf was enough to make her understand. "My business partner here understands your part of the agreement, but he's confused by the other side of this contract. Bug bears, goblins, and ogres aren't exactly known for their ability to make let alone keep their bargains. "

Gregor nodded. "Yes , from my brief exchanges with them I agree. The whole lot of them are a barbaric and conniving people, but someone else controls them. I do not know who, but it was clear to me from the start that the creatures I have been dealing with are merely pawns or catspaws of some greater power. Who they are , I do not know , nor do I wish to know. They helped me get rid of the last group of knights, and seize control of the town though and for that I am content. It was an easy task to lead those fools into an ambush and for that I was rewarded greatly with rare treasures that are beyond measure, " smiled the mayor at Sir Jose. "Treasures that I will gladly share for your complacency of my business affairs, of course."

Pig Iron , Maid , and Kit were shocked at the Mayor's admittance of his role in the disappearance of the former Knight Garrison. Even more shocking of course was Sir Jose's lack of response. Kit was sure, he would be beating the man's face into a pulp by now with his heavy plate gauntlets.

Jose simply nodded and considered the man's statement. "So this tunnel is merely a convenience for you to do business with your …partners …in the mountains. It isn't an invasion a tunnel at all I take it ? Is there anything else you can tell me about them, in case I need to gloss over my report to my Lord Rollo. I need an acceptable explanation of course to relay to him to clarify the disappearance of the previous Knights you know", noted the knight.

Kit found it hard to believe that her master was taking this so calmly. She doubted he actually was going to stand for this, since Sir Jose had always been blunt and combative in nature. Patience and tact were not words used to describe her lord. Did he change recently? Perhaps something good came from his break up with the Baroness after all she thought.

Mayor Gregor considered his words and shrugged. " That is all I know. Whoever pulls their strings are unknown to me. Although I did find that some of the currency they paid me in were odd to say the least. Beyond that I do not know who they are. "

"Why are you telling us all this? ", asked Maid. Kit nodded as she wondered the same thing herself.

Gregor did not seem to be amused at the innkeeper's question. Kit understood the reason though, minor satraps like himself often wanted to be addressed by those that are in power. It gave them a sense of worth in their unremarkable lives. Regardless of his scorn for Maid he sighed and answered. "I believe that we did not get off to the best start. After this conversation you have confirmed my beliefs and I believe we have an opportunity here to milk this situation to everyone's mutual benefit. You Sir Pig Iron are a member of the Dwarven Teamsters are you not? I am certain your less than honest, organization can provide certain goods that are unavailable to my own ..buisness associates, to the mysterious partners in the mountains. And you , Miss Maid , I recognized your talents immediately . I need someone like you to keep an eye on the population and to report any…dissenters… or troublemakers in Essuria. You have a way with people that makes them trust you, and since you already have dealings with one criminal organization I have no doubt you won't have objections dealing with another. As for our esteemed Sir Jose , I initially had reservations about him . After his long trek across the mountains and the battle with the dragon , I did not realize he was a paladin from his less than pristine appearance. At first I thought he was a simple vagabond adventurer not one of the famous Knight's of the Husky. I had to avoid direct contact with the previous knights you know for fear they would use their weird eyes on me and then smite me or drive me away from this town, and I was certain he would do the same to me after I presented the keys to the city to him. To my surprise he didn't , then I suspected there was more to our knight than meets the eye. Upon further investigation, I discovered his squire was evil of all things and I assumed the man was a holy knight in name only. After all, no self-respecting paladin would deal with criminals and keep an ethically challenged squire. I was delighted to discover that finally a man whom I can deal with had come to town. With Sir Jose here representing the distant Northern Order's interest, I can operate without the scrutiny of Sherriff Trent or the other city States of the Western Freeholds. Who would question the legitimacy of the knight that drove off a dragon? I was prepared to approach you and work out a suitable arrangement but unfortunately you somehow discovered the tunnel beneath the town first. Luckily for me , my intuition of the situation paid off, and here we are, peaceably discussing terms of how to divide not only the labors of the hard working miners in town, but the sums paid by the mysterious overlord in the mountains, " waxed the mayor confidently.

Kit was in shock. She was evil? She didn't feel evil, in fact she thought she had turned a new leaf when Sir Jose took her under his wing. Kit thought of Pig Iron as some criminal's hired muscle, not some mastermind felon that the mayor described him to be. As for Maid, she fully believed she was forced into her contract due to desperation, not a willingness to engage in less than savory business dealings. Finally she found it hard to believe that Sir Jose had fallen from grace. Thought it did explain why the Baroness left her, and why he was so willing to begin this solo crusade in this distant foreign land. Did he do this in an attempt to redeem himself, or was he hoping to carve himself a little empire here outside of his order's eyes? The mayor's long winded speech put a heavy doubt on her mind.

Kit, Pig Iron and Maid all stared at Sir Jose nervously. Had they all been duped by his holy charade? The mayor sat smugly in his seat and waved his servant for another round of drinks but was interrupted by a loud laugh. Sir Jose got up from his chair and slapped his knee in amusement. " You know, paladins are fairly varied you know. If we don't carry a coat of arms or some type of visible marking it is hard to spot us . Some concentrate on strength like warriors, others are more like priests and use their spells and wisdom to battle evil. In fact I've even heard of scholarly paladins and believe or not I've been told of one red headed paladin that specializes in the use of elven scimitars and the bow , and literally skips around the battlefield in a mithral breastplate. Regardless of how they battle evil, there is one trait that separates us from the common adventurer. And that is we're all so damn charismatic. Although I don't normally show it and my slow wits often defeat any subterfuge I plan, I can be pretty charming and convincing if I want to be. For example , I once had my friend Martinez work for half his standard rate cuz I had him believe he was going to get knighted by my order, and once I convinced the most beautiful woman in the world to think she could be in love with a drunken warrior from North Darokin," sighed Sir Jose regretfully. The knight then walked to the servant and grabbed the entire decanter of the Agave worm juice. He shook it once before taking a swig and then turned to the mayor with a swaggering smile. "Oh…and one time. I was in this backward town. I convinced the corrupt mayor there that I was going to work with him, instead of beating him to a bloody pulp. I did this after he blabbed to me everything I wanted to know of course. "

Kit flashed a smile at her lord's dramatic speech , and she swiftly drew her kukris. Fallen or not, Sir Jose had a flare for the dramatic when it came to starting fights she thought to herself in amusement.


	8. Chapter 8

Kitahria launched herself at Gregor before anyone could react. She wanted to both impress her lord and slake her blood lust, by taking out the fat mayor early. She slashed both her blades at his neck, hoping to sever his head in some flashy display to cow the rest of the guards. To her dismay the man vanished before her just as her kukris were about to strike.

Kit blinked and noted that his image didn't waver or was disrupted, it wasn't an illusion. She only had a little training at identifying magic but suspected the mayor teleported or perhaps blinked into another dimension in time to avoid her blades. She still smelled his presence though and she scanned the room hoping to spot him.

She noted right away the servant cowering on the ground while Pig Iron had drawn his weapon and skewered one of the guardsmen rushing the room. Maid avoided a guard's slashing sword and literally spun and danced to safety behind the stout dwarf. The Innkeepers main strength seemed to be in skirmishing, support or in surprise attacks, and she would have little chance to excel in this enclosed battlefield. Kit didn't notice Sir Jose had readied his shield, but it was at the ready as her master punched a guard flat in the face with it. After that heavy blow the knight twirled his blade and slashed another one of the charging militia across the chest as he then turned to scan the room as well.

Though there was no sign of the mayor, Kit guessed he used some sort of invisibility or illusion to hide his presence after he teleported. She wasn't sure of course but that was the best she could assume from her limited knowledge of the workings of magic. It shouldn't have surprised her though, since they did see a magic user of some sort engaging the dragon at the walls, but it never occurred to her now that the foppish looking Gregor was the source.

As Pig Iron and Sir Jose hacked another pair of guards, Kit's keen ears picked up chanting from the corner of the room. . She smiled as she located her prey and happily skipped and hopped through the once opulent room. Though she saw nothing, her ears and nose didn't lie.

Suddenly, before she could reach her target, her path was barred by four black and red segmented worms.

"Fiendish centipedes! ", shouted Maid in warning.

Kit nodded as she faced monsters. The creatures were the size of a man and a hellish surrounded them. A viscous liquid drooled from their clicking mandibles and the young squire knew well to be wary of their poisonous bite. She wasn't sure if their jaws were strong enough to penetrate her skin, but she knew well that if any of their venom got in her eyes or mouth she would most likely be incapacitated by it.

Two centipedes lashed out at her like snakes, but Kit easily avoided their blows. She rolled forwards and tumbled past the other pair but her path was blocked once again. Two hunched, black haired apes appeared out of no whwere and swung their long arms at the squire. One cleanly missed, while the other battered her to the side. She felt a surge of dark energy flow through the creature as it struck her, but curiously it passed through her harmlessly even as she was smashed into the wall. Though the energy did her no harm, she was still staggered from the attack and even dropped one of her blades because of it.

Kit scrambled even as one of the apes rushed her. Her gaze met the creature's soulless black eyes and she realized the creature was fiendish as well. She suddenly realized the nature of the foe they were fighting even as the creature grabbed and pummeled her into the ground.

"He's….oww….a …ahh…..a ….summoner! ", she barked as the monster slammed her repeatedly into the ground. Kit's strength was no match for the ape's but at least her hide held against its blows. She tried to weasel away before it began to more effectively choke or crush her to death. Her skin would not save her from such attacks.

As Kit was being beaten into the ground, the attacks suddenly stopped and the massive creature fell lifeless next to her. She glanced up and spotted Sir Jose standing above her hacking his blade into the other ape with chopped and hacked pieces of centipedes scattered around him. Behind him he saw a hound made of flames appear, seemingly out of thin air.

Kit tried to yell a warning but the beating she took left her breathless. Thankfully the hound's smokey aura alerted the paladin and he spun to meet it before it bit him. Kit watched her master's shield parry the monster's bite and in a flash his sword slashed its side. The creature was unfazed though and it reared up before releasing a torrent of fire on the knight.

The room was bathed briefly in the hellish hound's flames, and Kit was thankful that the fading body of the dead ape helped block protect her from them. As the fire subsided she saw Jose blackened and smouldering, but still standing undaunted before the creature, while Pig Iron and the remaining militia were stumbling and rolling on the ground from the flames.

"Is that all you got essay?", shouted Jose defiantly as he twirled his sword in an elaborate display and seemingly shuffled his feet as if in a dance. Kit noticed a slight slur to his speech and knew that the accursed fermented Agave worm juice he guzzled earlier was having its effect. Her lord refrained from employing the rough and tumble fighting style of his people, Daros lucha, in favor of the more rigid style of the knights, but reverted when under stress or more often enough when he was drunk. It was both a comical and effective style but as his squire, it was embarrassing for her to watch. More importantly Kit heard a chuckle from what could only be Mayor Gregor emanating from an unseen source in the corner. Kit saw her chance to redeem her earlier failed attack, and sprang to action once again. Though she couldn't see her foe, her ears and nose gave her a good idea where he was . She threw her remaining blade and grinned when it stopped in midair amidst a splash of crimson.

Before she could celebrate a victory though, more arcane words were uttered by the invisible summoner. She could see the fat wounded mage materialize where she guessed even as the debris of the room began to slowly rise infront of him. Shattered furniture, broken glass, and even the platter were suspended before the now visible mayor. Kit briefly wondered if the wreckage would serve as a barrier but her question was quickly answered when they suddenly were propelled towards her.

* * *

Kitahria awoke in a sweat. She struggled to rise but a soft hand pushed her gently down.

"It's ok Kit , it's ok. Rest," said the sweet comforting voice.

Kit's eyes focused and she saw Maid smiling and sitting next to her. The squire accessed her surroundings and saw that she was in a soft bed with muffled music in the background. She guessed they were in Maid's inn, Dragonslayers or something like that if she recalled, since the room did not look like any from Erland's Keep.

"What happened? ", Kit asked in confusion.

"Well…I must say your master has a….unique fighting style…especially after he gets some of that Agave juice in him. Suffice to say we killed the hell hound , scattered the remaining guards, and won the battle, but you took a nasty strike to the head. Mayor Gregor used a telekinesis spell or something and struck you with a silver platter. He knocked you out, but Jose managed to stab him before he teleported away. After your lord stabilized you with his healing touch , I stayed to tend you , while he and Pig Iron collapsed the bug bear tunnel. We weren't in any condition to repulse a serious attack," explained the Innkeeper.

Kit nodded at the explanation, and touched her head . She felt a stabbing pain , as she confirmed the wound that Maid described and recoiled her fingers reflexively. She had hoped to impress her lord, but felt glum when she did not succeed. A part of her was disappointed that she did not get to kill him, but more importantly she recalled some of the words that Gregor spoke, before the melee broke out, and her heart sank.

Maid seemed oblivious to Kit's concerns, or at least did not show any signs of noticing them. "Sir Jose had been at your side all day, but he has to purge then reorganize what's left of the militia. He rightly fears an attack by the bug bears now that their contact in Essuria has been exposed. ", she sighed. "Pig Iron is helping him…..in his own unique way. He might be a borderline criminal, but the razing of this town is bad for business. Also he's a dwarf, and you know how dwarfs get around goblins."

Kit nodded at Maid's comment, but her mind was preoccupied with other things. She recalled Gregor mentioning that Jose was a fallen knight, and also that she radiated evil upon inspection. She wondered if any of his statements held any truth. It was true that Jose was an unorthodox knight to say the least. From his low bred background, to his heavy drinking, his choice of love interest, and even his decision to make Kit his squire were all things that set him apart from the other knights. Kit didn't think any of these would remotely jeopardize her master's standing as a paladin, and thought it must have been an attempt by the Mayor attempting to sow distrust into their ranks.

His other comment about her being evil thought, weighed uneasily on her heart. Ethics and morality were not something that Jose taught well, but even Kit knew the basic differences between good and evil. If you were good you acted for the benefit of all, if you were evil your actions benefit only yourself often at the detriment of others. That was a simplified view of course, and it allowed a whole plethora of various degrees of good and evil but that was her ethics cosmology in a nut shell. She considered her past actions, especially when she was an assassin under the rule of her dark lords, and wondered where on the good/evil scale she fell. She had killed plenty of monsters and people under both Mogombo and Sir Jose and noted to herself that she both enjoyed and often took pride in her bloody work. Was she evil? It made no sense if she was since to her knowledge, paladins were forbidden to employ or associate with evil beings. She also recalled a mark of justice placed on her head, and that stopped her from doing anything bad. Upon reflection, she was pretty sure she was not evil, since her lord was a holy warrior, a paladin of Nirrodin to be exact, and he surely he would not harbor her if she was.

That is of course if Jose was still a paladin. Kit had witness him employ his holy fire on many occasions and use his divine magic to heal , but she knew that such feats could be duplicated by magic. Also she recalled Jose's former lover, the Lady Stille. Though she admired the Baroness, the young squire knew that she had an evil aura about her. Kit always thought it was due to the fact Stille possessed some measure of demonic blood within her , but could it be that was not the whole truth. The baroness always behaved in a pious and noble manner, but was that all an act so she could corrupt her lord? From her service under her former lord, Kit had seen succubus before, and knew that Stille did not possess the lewd charms of a lust demon. That did not exclude her from being an alu demon, or something similar. Kit also recalled the abrupt way that Jose left their former comrades. Perhaps Martinez had suspected the change in her lord as well. Though Kit did not consider the duelist the brightest of individuals, he was very observant, almost supernaturally so. If Jose had indeed fallen, Martinez would have noticed, and what better way to escape his perception than by leaving his company to go on a distant crusade.

Kit's mind was a jumble from these discordant thoughts. Perhaps it was the blow to the head, or her failure in the last battle, but the squire felt her paranoia rise as she thought about her master. Even with Maid's gentle ministrations she did not feel comfortable knowing her lord might be on the dark path.

"Is she awake?", asked a firm but gentle voice outside her vision.

Kit's heart stopped as she saw Sir Jose enter the room.

"She's fine. ", smiled Maid. "I'll leave you two be", she added against the squire's silent wishes.

Kit wasn't ready to face the knight alone. She knew her worries were probably baseless, but a part of her were fox nature made her skittish and naturally distrusting.

Before Kit could protest,Maid had left the room and Sir Jose sat by her side.

"You fought well, but careless Keeta. ", he commented as he examined her head with a worried look.

Kit would normally make a snappy remark at this point, but her impulsive nature got the best of her." Was what he said true?" She blurted without thinking.

Jose sighed and to her horror he nodded as if he understood her cryptic statement. "Yes it's true. I'm sorry."

Kit recoiled from him slightly. She thought she had been following a holy warrior not a fallen knight. She still respected him , but a part of her was hurt from this revelation.

"When we first encountered you, they thought you were a demon, a Rakshasa , and told me to kill you. Even the kind hearted Stille thought you were too dangerous to live. I admit I was tempted to do so but even though you radiated evil , it did not seem right. You were young, a victim of your background, and I would not have slain you even if I did not realize you were a lycanthrope initially," explained Jose.

Kit blinked in disbelief. What was Jose telling her? Was her fears about him unfounded? Instead of him being fallen, was she the evil one?

"I placed a mark on your head, and called it a mark of justice to alleviate the fears of my companions, but as you probably alreay know, I cannot conjure such an enchantment. It was only holy water combined with a simple light spell, but it was enough to fool my companions to spare you. I wasn't sure why , but I felt I could redeem you," continued the knight. "And for the most part you did not disappoint."

"Wait...for the most part? Are you telling me …that Gregor was right? I am evil? ", asked Kit in disbelief.

Jose sighed and slumped his broad shoulders. "I thought you would have realized that when those fiendish creature's tried to smite good you. Listen Kit, I learned a long time ago to stop trusting my paladin vision, and make my ethical decisions based on the actions I witness. It's a handy tool, but not something to solely base my judgements on. If I didn't I would have attacked the Baroness a long time ago, and been at war with roughly a third of Grom by now. So called good people are not always in the moral right, and so called evil people are just doing what they can to survive. There's a lot of grey in this so called black and white world. In your particular instance, yes you radiate an aura of evil, but if it makes you feel better it's a lot less intense than when we first met. It takes more than a simple change in your employer to wash the stains of your previous deeds. Despite your progress, you still enjoy killing and you possess an unhealthy dose of blood lust in battle. Slightly less important, but still significant, is that you think mainly of yourself, and regretfully me before you consider the plight of others. While it's flattering to be included in your inner circle of priorities it doesn't change your aura ", explained Jose.

Kit was at a loss of word, as both squire and knight sat in uneasy silence. The inn music in the background seemed more and more distant .

Finally Kit shook her head. "Wait, you're a paladin. Don't you have a code against associating with …evil? Don't you lose your paladin powers or something?"

Jose chuckled. "Well….In the old days that's true. That was definitely the case in the first and second edition of the paladin codex. The third, and the slightly revised three point five code of paladins, relaxed it a little , but it was still pretty strict on the manner. Luckily I abide by the even further revised three point seven five rules of conduct and thus exempt from such restrictions."

Kit was still in a state of shock , but was curiously amused by Jose's explanation. "Wait, that sounds like something you made up. You get to pick and choose which laws you follow? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of laws and rules?" She asked playfully despite the suddenly dark atmosphere between them.

Jose shook his head ," Listen Keeta, I'm not making this stuff up. I abide by the codified three point seven five rules of conduct for paladins. It states under associates ' While she may adventure with good or neutral allies, a paladin avoids working with evil characters or with anyone who consistently offends her moral code. Under exceptional circumstances, a paladin can ally with evil associates, but only to defeat what she believes to be a greater evil. A paladin should seek an _atonement_ spell periodically during such an unusual alliance, and should end the alliance immediately should she feel it is doing more harm than good. A paladin may accept only henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are lawful good. ' To clarify, you do not consistently offend my moral code, and I don't consider you a follower or cohort,you are more like a bad student at worse or a friend or associate at best. In fact if you were to ask any knight about which code of conduct they follow, you will find all the Northern Orders follow the three point seven five version as well. We briefly adopted the fourth edition rules of behavior but they were quickly scrapped. I believe Grand Champion Frank stated that they were, and I quote. 'It's for lamers, hipsters, and made for people who have ADD. ' I don't know what that means exactly, but I assume it's bad."

Kit considered his words carefully. "So I don't have a mark of justice on me? ", was her only reply.

Jose sighed once again this time in a defeated tone, "No you don't. I am sorry for the deception. Your actions should be your own, I apologize for placing the hollow threat of divine retribution to govern your actions. If you choose to leave my service because of this, I understand, and I will take no retribution against you. At the time I thought myself clever for that well-meaning deception, but in retrospect it was still a lie. "

Before she could reply, Jose got up and walked to the door. "When you were struck down in battle, I felt horrible. Not only because I thought you died, but because I thought you were fighting for a cause that you may or may not believe in. I knew if you survived I had to tell you the truth. This is my crusade and I have no right to drag you unwillingly into it. I'm sorry ," he apologized once again before leaving the room.

Kit could not believe her ears. Was everything she had done, a big lie? Was all her sacrificing, all her restraint she had shown in the past few years due simply to a clever deception? Was she free to resume her former life as an assassin ?

Even though Mogombo was slain, he was a demon, and there was always a chance he could return. Despite this, she still detested him, and had no desire to return to his service. The more she thought about it the more she remembered how much she hated her former life. Her current life wasn't that much better and the more she thought about it the more similarities she saw between them. She mentally compared her past to her present, all she did then and now was going to town to town, city to city and kill stuff for her master. She ate better and enjoyed more comforts under Mogombo , but felt safer and learned more under Jose. She was subjected to the occasional beating under the Rakshasa, but she also hated guard duty and dog grooming under the paladin. She hated herself as she realized she was subconsciously making a check list of pros and cons from both her previous lords. Was she so clueless of what's right and wrong, that she had to make a list to compare. Was so morally lost that she was confused by the path she should take?

As Kit questioned herself , Maid re-entered the room with a concerned look on her face. "Is everything all right Kit? I saw Jose leave and he looked white as a sheet. He didn't' say anything but from the way he looked, I thought you died or something. "

Kit considered her words, and sank back into the bed. She knew then what she must do.


	9. Chapter 9

Sir Jose saluted the Halfling Dragoon even as he wiped the blood off his blade. Greenpaw barked in a friendly manner at the small troop while he gnawed happily on a bug bear's skull. The pair stood on the top of the wall's battlements defiantly as they watched the invaders scramble behind their lines.

Jose had anticipated some form of retribution from the bug bears he had chased off but did not expect a full scale assault from a small army. The paladin counted roughly a thousand goblinoids supported by roughly fifty ogres and hill giants arrayed against them. Even with the town's heavy fortifications, the last goblin assault had almost broken through. Jose was not an expert at siege warfare, but from his Master Rollo's teachings, he recalled that an enemy needed at least ten to one odds to storm a properly manned fortress. By his estimation, the goblins had them outnumbered closer to fifteen to one and they were far from properly manned. Luckily Sergeant Trent and his outriders had arrived to relieve them before they were overwhelmed. Jose assumed the Halfling warrior must have spotted the smoke from the siege while on his patrol through the mountains and rushed to Essuria with his relief force. It was only a dozen dog riders, but their sudden appearance sowed confusion into the enemy ranks, and temporarily broke the siege.

"Only twelve dragoons? I'm disappointed, "smirked the paladin as he petted Greenpaw even while he scanned for signs of another assault.

"That's Hot Dogoons to you. Dragoons is a silly human term , most likely a bad translation from the original Halfling unit designation, " laughed Sergeant Trent even as he saluted Jose back. The Halfling then scanned the walls and frowned. " Where do you have the rest of the guard hiding? I was pretty sure there was roughly forty of them holding off the dragon the last time I rode through."

Jose shrugged. "Umm….my group and I killed about twenty of them."

Trent raised an eyebrow. "Err…how about Mayor Gregor. He's a skilled magician; he should be on the wall helping you defend the town."

Jose shrugged again." Umm….I tried to kill him, but he got away. He's probably the one behind this attack by the way."

Trent considered his statement then sighed. "I see , " noted the sergeant shaking his head. "I noticed the enemy are keeping a lot of giants in reserve, you at least still have that squire that specializes in giant slaying don't you?"

Sir Jose considered his answer then shook his head sadly. " Keeta was severely wounded when we exposed the mayor's alliance with the goblins. I'm afraid she will be unable to assist us …indefinitely. "

Trent watched the paladin carefully then nodded, " That's a shame we could really use her right now. Goblin's are simple creatures and their tactics fairly predictable. Despite their casualties, this last attack was merely to test your defences and they still almost broke through. The next attack will involve their full strength , including the ogres and giants they have kept in reserve. We could definitely have used her specialized talents."

Jose nodded solemnly in agreement , but then cheered up a little as Pig Iron marched to his position with a small band of conscripted townsfolk. The dwarf was covered in goblin blood and gore, but seemed in a good mood.

"Oh, we have a dwarf. They're pretty good against giants," noted the paladin in an attempt to make his position seem more favorable. As Pig Iron neared their position he stopped suddenly when he noticed the dozen large shaggy Halfling mounts. He dropped to all fours and hissed at the dogs , before leaping onto a wall. Though he was quite quick for a dwarf, he was still hampered by his physical restrictions, and struggled comically before wiggling over it and out of sight.

Trent dropped his jaw at the unusual sight. "Errr, a dwarf you say?"

Jose smiled sheepishly in apology, " He fights better then he looks. "

Trent paused and seemed locked in deep thought.

"I'm not much of a tactics guy, I'm more of a front line warrior then strategist. Are you coming up with a plan to stop the next attack?", asked Jose in anticipation.

"I'm actually calculating if my riders and I have enough time to saddle up and ride out of town before the enemy close off our route of escape.", replied Trent stoically. Jose chuckled nervously, not knowing if the Halfling was jesting or not before he could inquire further a reddish brown blur hopped between the pair.

"Woof!" barked Greenpaw as he hopped forwards and licked Kit happily.

"Down boy, down! "laughed the squire. She then turned to Sergeant Trent and bowed before the Halfling. "Thank you for assisting my lord while I was predisposed. I would have come sooner, but that busy body Maid refused to let me leave my bed till I had recovered more of my strength, "she explained, even as the fore mentioned Innkeeper appeared from the shadows and waved at the small band with her crude goblin bow.

Trent exhaled slightly in relief." Our odds are improving, especially with an expert archer and a giant slayer added to our ranks. Though the enemy outnumber us greatly, our situation is not as hopeless as it seems. These walls held off a dragon for several weeks, and I believe we could to do the same to the goblins. We just have to make them commit enough forces and counter strike with enough force to cause their morale to break…."

Sir Jose stood silently even as the Halfling began outlining his plan. Besides the attentive maid, Trent's words went largely unheard. Jose would pay more attention when he explained it the second time, but for now he had more important things on his mind. The knight mere bowed his head slightly to his squire who responded by bowing back and flashing a sliver of a confident rejuvenated smile. Jose considered confirming his suspicions with his special paladin vision but in his heart he knew that was unnecessary. She looked happy, and at peace. It didn't matter if they were victorious over the goblins or not, the paladin knew that he had already won the battle that mattered.

* * *

Sir Jose gave an approving look to Sergeant Trent. The Halfling knew his craft well. As predicted, the goblins and their giant allies waited till night time for their main assault. The earlier disastrous midday probe, had tested Essuria's protectors at their strongest, while the monster's true attack would strike the defenders at their weakest. Though the paladin admitted he was not well studied in the arts of war, he thought that their opponent's plan was stupid , even for the monsters they faced. Trent however pointed out that goblins did not act or even think rationally or logically, which Jose grudgingly agreed with.

The paladin guessed they had slain roughly fifty goblins earlier, but the suicidal attack did force them to tip their hand and reveal their strength. Roughly twenty surviving guardsmen, forty volunteer militia and a dozen of the Halfling dogoons were at their disposal. Jose thought the dogoons and guards were relatively well disciplined and equipped, but he knew the militia could not be counted on if the battle degenerated into a melee. Trent agreed and placed them in missile support roles in the fortified towers positions along the wall to make up for this deficiency.

Even though he could not see in the dark, from the many torches and fires along the wall, Jose could see a wave of goblins surge forwards towards them.

"BREE YARK!" they shouted in a chaotic medley as they charged the wall. The knight saw most carried crude ladders or grappling hooks, and noted they were lightly armed and armored to compensate for their heavy additional gear.

The defenders fired their slings, and crossbows at this initial wave and fell about a dozen goblins per volley. Jose was satisfied with the toll they were extracting but was disappointed by the accuracy of the defenders. The knight noted that Maid and Trent were steadily whittling their numbers, but the enemy seemed unending. They threw javelins and fired crossbows in return, but thankfully their accuracy was worse than the defenders. Despite losing the battle of attrition, the goblins shrugged off their casualties and simply trampled their wounded in their drive to swarm the wall. As they neared the fortifications, they propped up ladders and threw their grappling hooks onto the tall walls. The lighter quicker goblins were the first to scramble up, and most were summarily massacred when they reached the top. Even though it seemed like a suicide attack, the defending guards were tied up repulsing the attackers instead of raining crossbow bolts into the enemy, giving the rear attacking ranks a chance to amass at the base of the walls.

Jose saw that the battle was going according to plan , and signalled the militia to proceed with the next stage. As ordered, they began igniting and dropping scores of pots onto the enemy. The knight saw that the vast majority of these makeshift projectiles scattered amongst the enemy harmlessly, but a few landed atop the head of some unlucky goblin or bugbear with dire results. Most of the pots broke, releasing burning smoking leaves, branches, cooking oil, or even dirty rags. The flaming and smoking debris proved a slight obstacle to the attackers but the combined effect did begin to obscure the vision of the battlefield. Not enough to block all vision, but enough to obscure missile, including that of the defenders. Jose frowned at the loss of their defensive fire, and hoped the Halfling's plan would work.

As the debris burned, Jose heard a deep horn in the distance. The loud sound blasted through the town and combined with the thunder of massive footsteps, signalled that the giants had begun their attack. Through the smoke, Jose saw that a few of the defenders stationed near him had begun to panic, but he focused on his aura of courage to calm their nerves.

"Steady, " he barked , more as a threat than as a reassuring boost to their morale. The men around him promptly settled down as they continued their staunch defense . Visibility was limited, but Jose could hear the walls shuddering from what sounded to be heavy blows. Jose could see in his mind's eye, the giants either battering the defenses with their huge fists, or more likely employing clubs like massive battering rams against the walls.

Just as Trent's plans next stage was about to be enacted, a terrified cry rang through the chaotic clamor of the battle.

"Demons!" shouted a terrified guard.

"Bree Yark! " shouted an equally terrified goblin.

Sir Jose instinctively switched his vision and saw an army of evil presences before him. This didn't surprise him of course since they were under attack by a horde of goblins and giants , but he did note three especially intense auras atop the battlements. From the previous battle, he knew Gregor could summon fiendish creatures, and wondered if the evil mayor was assisting the goblin army. The paladin wasn't sure where they came from or what they were exactly, but knew that if they were indeed demons, than the entire plan would fall apart.

"Hold your position! Wait for the signal !" he barked to the guards as he rushed towards the evil presences.

The paladin was briefly stopped by a few goblins and bug bears that had climbed the battlements, but swiftly dispatched them as he made his way to his targets atop the wall. As he neared his unseen foes, he saw several guards and goblins lying in pieces scattered around the ledge. Jose appraised the dead's injuries briefly, but his keen battle senses detected a presence nearby. He swiftly brought his shield to bear even as a dark iron pike smashed towards his head.

*CLANG*

Sir Jose staggered a bit from the blow but quickly recovered. Through the smoke he saw two tall deformed rubbery looking demons, brandishing what appeared to be long crude poleaxes at him. Behind them was a strangely familiar obsidian skinned warrior, roughly seven feet in height , armored in demonic armor, and wielding a greatsword that seemed crafted by some form of blasphemous organic material. Wisps of smoke escaped the handsome dark warrior's armor as a terrible killing intent radiated from him.

"Demons", Jose growled. He knew he had to slay them quickly and rushed the monsters, despite the pikes readied against him. The paladin knew he could probably deflect one as he closed the range, but expected the other to strike him in the side. He gauged he could most likely weather the blow, and was willing to accept the attack to close the range with his foes. He timed his shield and battered the left demonic poleaxe to his center and braced for the strike from the one at the right, but curiously none came. Jose didn't bother to understand why, as he faced the left rubbery demon. He refrained from empowering his blade as he knew the armored demon was probably the most dangerous of the three, and relied on his strength and skill to dispatch it. The paladin knew while armed, the rubbery demon's advantage was its greater range, so strode inside its reach. Before the creature could back up or adjust his weapon's grip, Jose slashed the monster once across the chest to stun it. His attack was a swift light blow, as he did not want to commit to his strike , and the demon responded by staggering back slightly from the superficial wound. Through the smoke, Jose's battle hardened instincts saw an opening at the creature's throat, armpit, and knee. The paladin considered the throat , but opted for the easy knee slash instead. Jose's blade sliced cleanly and deeply into the demon's middle leg, causing it to stumble and fall to the side. To the monster's credit, it braced itself on its pike to prevent itself from toppling over the wall, but Jose countered with a vicious slash to the neck he had earlier considered.

The paladin then turned to his other two opponents and to his surprise the armored demon was standing atop the other rubbery demon. The armored demon's blade erupted into dark tendrils of unholy energy, even as it was plunged into the pike armed monster's back. The familiar looking demonic warrior then grinned a maw full of pointed teeth at Sir Jose in what could only be described as a corrupted smile.

"By the dark gods, excellent! Long had I desired a rematch with you….Sir Jose. I thought our paths would never cross again since we last met in Veb, and I have longed to test my strength against yours again. Two great warriors, dueling on top of the battlements during an epic siege. What better way to celebrate my legendary warrior's acumen. I will not allow this filth to spoil my moment. ", hissed the demon in a serpent like voice as he flung the rubbery demon it had slain casually to the side.

Jose paused and appraised his opponent carefully. "Err…who are you again? Have we met? You look familiar, but I can't recall the who, where and when we met? ", asked the paladin in confusion.

The armored demon's handsome face contorted briefly into a look of anger, but just as quickly he relaxed and laughed. " You will not unsettle me with your childish taunts. I am Sir Malleus of Zeletar , a dark swordsman in service to my lord Graz'zt . I battled you to a standstill a few years ago in the dark forests of Veb. Such a feat has earned you the privilege of receiving my full wrath. ", boasted the demon.

Jose shook his head. "Nope. Still doesn't ring a bell. "

The armored demon growled and raised his dark blade overhead, but then suddenly their battle was interrupted.

Through the smoke a large dark shadow could be seen briefly overhead. The wall's and nearby battlements then erupted in a blazing fire. Jose jumped back and narrowly avoided the inferno, but the armored demon was not so lucky and was caught with in it. Soon the clamor of the siege was replaced with shouts of panic in common, goblin, and giant.

"Dragon! "

"Magda has returned! "

"Run! Run for your lives! ", came deep echoing cries from a variety of languages. As to accent the point, pained and confused giant roars echoed through the battle field.

Jose turned and saw a particularly large giant stumble from the smoke and collapse on top of several ranks of goblins. The enemy stared at the giant champion for a second before their morale was broken. That was apparently the last straw as the horde's will to fight collapsed at this point. The remaining invaders turned and fled in a chaotic fashion, even as more crossbow bolts rained down on their ranks. Giants trampled bugbears, even as bugbears flung goblins to the side as they fled in all directions. Added to the confusion was a blaring of high pitched horns. The paladin saw the main gates open as Trent's Dogoons had seized the initiative. The Halflings had swiftly mounted their war dogs and were sallying forth in an attempt to ruthlessly run down the fleeing invaders.

"Well done. ", applauded the armored demon as it stepped out unharmed from the blazing fire.

"I have long waited to continue our battle, but it seems once again I am at the whims of a spineless master. My current summoner is recalling me once again, but fear not, I predict we shall meet again soon. ", noted the demon as it vanished from sight.

Jose scratched his head at the bizarre familiar creature. The paladin still couldn't recall where he had encountered it but he did admit the demon certainly seem to know him. Jose blamed his previous bouts of fermented Agave worm juice for his faulty memory and summoned Greenpaw to his side.

"Woof ! ", barked the massive husky as the paladin swiftly mounted him. Jose prepared to join Sergeant Trent's harassing operations even as the smoke began to lift.

He smiled as he saw the large abstract wooden frame that made the shadowy silhouette through the fires and smoke. He didn't think it would fool anyone, but he guessed goblins weren't just any fools. He saw Maid wave at him, from one of the towers, and was glad that not only did she have such a diverse range of languages at her disposal, but was able to obscure and amplify it enough when shouting into a hollow barrel to throw confusion into the enemy. Finally he saw the dwarf Pig Iron and his faithful squire mopping up any wounded giants at the base of the wall. The smoke gave the two giant slayers the perfect opportunity to ply their craft. Though he guessed they only dispatch two maybe three ogres and giants in the confusion, it was enough to break the ranks of the enemy army. Trent guessed correctly that the goblins did not fear the town's defenders, but they did fear the dragon Magda. Luckily for them Gregor's warehouse gave them enough tools and materials to give a rough illusion that she was attacking. They did not scrounge up enough oil to serve as an effective deterrent for the goblins, but at least it was enough to simulate her fiery breath.

Jose chuckled as he guessed Trent's farfetched plan had worked. He owed the Halfling a drink he guessed.

"Woof!", barked Greenpaw at the fleeing horde.

Jose nodded at his mount's impatience. The goblins suffered heavily but they would return again in force unless their ranks were smashed . He spurred the massive dog forward and with a single leap , it bounded off the battlements to join Trent in pursuit of their demoralized and disorganized foe.


	10. Chapter 10

The crowds cheered as Sir Jose did a victory lap around the streets of Essuria. The paladin on the big green dog was in his element as he waved at the adoring villagers who seemed to praise him over all others.

"So why is your master taking all the credit? If anyone deserves praise for this victory, it should be brave Sir Trent here," commented Maid in annoyance. The pretty innkeeper was taking a break from her job and relaxing with a few of her friends, namely Trent, Kit and the oddly silent Pig Iron. The group was seated in the Dragonslayer's Patio as they watched the victory parade proceed before them.

Kitahria was about to respond but she wrinkled her nose at the stench instead. Though she liked and even enjoyed the company of Sergeant Trent, the were-fox squire could not stand his scent in such close proximity. Besides the oddly friendly Greenpaw, the smell of dog that clinged to the Halfling drove her mad. Kit found their ability to trap scents in their long hair particularly disturbing and did her best to hide her revulsion while in Trent's company.

"The people praise him because he has the bearing of a true hero. Even though not everyone saw him battle those demons on the walls, many of the militia did, and the tale of his deed has ignited the imagination, "noted Trent as he waved at the passing knight.

"The demons were a distraction, the fake dragon was what actually saved the town," protested Maid as she reflexively served the groups drinks. Kit did not normally drink alcohol but accepted it graciously to not offend her friend, it was a fruity drink with a wooden sword and fruit garnish and made her gave her a slight spinning sensation in the head. Trent was drinking hard liquor of some type, not the agave worm juice that Jose enjoyed but some type of fermented potato beverage. Pig Iron seemed particularly happy as he lapped his platter full of some beer and milk mixture.

"I'm actually surprised that even worked. ", replied Kit finally as she attempted to ignore the invisible scent around them by sliding further down the table.

Trent reclined smugly on his small wooden booster chair that balanced precariously on his stool. The agile Halfling managed to tip himself at almost a forty five degree angle but due to his formidable Halfling dexterity he avoided falling on his back. " It was only a hunch, but I was pretty sure the dragon Magda was not in league with the mayor. Though my knowledge of Dragons is mostly limited to myths and legends, it doesn't take a genius to know how destructive and powerful they are. I was certain that the goblins know this as well, and just played on their fears," explained the Halfling. " Goblins are not the most clever or brave of creatures. All it took was a few slain giants by Pig Iron and yourself in the smoke , some clever acting by our talented linguist Maid here, and a large hazy shadow to spread panic into our foes. "

Kit listened to the explanation and nodded. " I recall some of this from Sir Jose's teachings. Fog of war right? I didn't realize that it involved actual ..umm fog. "

Trent laughed out loud at her comment and fell off his booster seat. Instead of dropping on his head though the Halfling managed to eject himself from his chair and landed squarely on his stool. "Hah! I see that your master's prowess in the class room is lacking compared to his skill on the battlefield. Fog of war ..Doesn't mean smoke or actual fog. It means the inability to know all the factors of battle. Fog of war is the uncertainty in situational awareness experienced by participants in military operations. I am proud to say it is a term coined by one of my Halfling countrymen , the famed Greater Pieland military analyst Carls Jr von Cakeawitz," stated the Sergeant proudly.

"Carls Jr? " , Maid giggled at his response. Trent shot her an angry look but was swiftly disarmed by the Innkeeper's charming smile. "I consider myself a soldier not a hero. Unlike Sir Jose I am more a student of tactics and strategy than a warrior like himself. " he continued.

"Oh..you study the art of war. Like the great General Monte Nabisco right?" asked Kit.

Trent nodded. "Yes , I have studied the campaigns of General Nabisco in depth. As an aside, his contributions to the development of tactics are not as important as his ability to motivate his troops . For humans, I admire the long range acumen of General Olive, the ability to maneuver troops on the battlefield like Baktu Kahn, the second guessing skills of General Dice, and of course the unshakeable confidence and will of Grand Champion Hida Franksada. "

"For humans? I thought humans were the most warlike race on the planet. I assume that all the great generals are humans, "puzzled Kit.

Trent shook his head with a chuckle."Wrong on both accounts my dear." Kit did not like his condescending attitude but over looked it . Her curiosity was peaked. "It is with both pride and sadness that my own people are considered the world's most militant race. Though humans have definitely participated in many more wars than my people, the size and scope of Halfling campaigns ...err dwarfs all others," boasted Trent while shooting a glance at Pig Iron. The dwarf seemed oblivious to the comment though as he continued to lap away at his milk beer saucer.

Kit scratched her head as she struggled to recall any Halfling wars. Nothing popped into her mind at first, but then she recalled something about a particular event that occurred a while ago in the north. "Ohh you mean the Great Halfling war right? That's where you guys had some big civil war and lined up and threw snow balls at each other till one side got all wet and cold. Then the losers went home with the sniffles and had hot chocolate, while the winners roasted weiners and marshmallows around a bon fire right? That must have been fun, "commented Kit with a wistful smile. The whole battle didn't seem much like a war , but it certainly sounded a lot more fun than the bloodshed she was accustomed to.

Sergeant Trent's humor vanished at the unintentional slight. His face contorted into a mask of rage, but a slight touch on the shoulder by Maid paused the soldier. "Forgive young Kit here. She grew up in the distant lands of Vinnraj and do not know the suffering your people endured, "explained the Innkeeper in a soothing diplomatic voice.

Trent sighed and closed his eyes. He shuddered as if he was recalling a terrible nightmare. " The Great Halfling war was not a civil war, but a thirty year campaign waged by the various Halfling nations at the time. The war was a terrible thing, that dragged the forces of the Knights of the North, the dwarves of Khazag Narg , and even the Grommish Expeditionary forces, not to mention a host of mercenaries from around the world into it. Demons, dragons, devils, devas, daemons, dinosaurs and even deities were all summoned and pressed into this terrible conflict. Roughly a million civilians and soldiers died before the conflict was ended and the Leeha Union was formed from the ashes of the shattered countries. ", stated Trent with remorse.

Kit felt small at his explanation and wisely remained silent. She was about to question the accuracy of his tale, but the look of Maid and even Pig Iron told her that the Halfling spoke the truth.

Trent took a swig of his potato spirits and continued. " Though the toll was horrifying , it did forge a lasting peace amongst my people . It also elevated our people's skill and knowledge of warfare to new levels. Many of the most famous military strategists in the world are Halflings. As mentioned before, Carls Jr von Cakeawitz was an analyst from Greater Pieland, his famous quote is 'war is a continuation of policy where diplomacy and dinner rolls have failed'. The famous Sauce Tzu was an ancient Halfling general philosopher that wrote the famous treatise the 'Ancient art of Worcestershire' that most war collages regardless of race still follow to this day. "

"Errr you mean the 'Ancient Art of War' , " corrected Kit meekly.

"I suppose that's the way humans translate it, but in its original Halfling its closer to Worcestershire,"dismissed Trent. "Also let's not forget the Great General Orange Julius Caesar and of course Emperor Neapolitan Bonbon-aparte, both Halfling leaders that shook the world to its knees with their brilliant military campaigns. Finally my personal favorite, Neapolitan's master of cavalry and the soldier I most want to emulate, the daring Marshmallow Ney ! "

Kit snickered and tried to contain her laughter, but found she couldn't. Even after receiving a swift kick under the table by presumably Maid, and biting her own tongue, she still managed to giggle at the humorous Halfling names. She expected Trent to begin a tirade on her, but he seemed focused on something else.

"I suggest you all enjoy this celebration while it lasts. I suspect we will be out on campaign soon," noted the Halfling as he stared into the mountains surrounding Essuria.

"Eh? I thought our foe broken? ", asked Maid.

"They are broken, but only temporarily. While our harassment operations were successful in routing the enemy, we only managed to slay perhaps two dozen goblins and burn their supplies. Even with the intervention of those eagles again we only managed to delay our foe, "explained Trent. At the mention of Eagles, Pig Iron ducked and hissed while scanning the skies cautiously.

"Eagles? Like the ones that showed up when we battled the dragon? "Puzzled Kit.

"Yes, I suspect a benevolent druid in the mountain is lending us aid. I have my guesses on who it is, but I have no confirmation yet, " nodded Trent. "Anyways, I counted roughly fifty goblins were slain during their first assault, another hundred during the main battle, three giants and ogres by yourself and Pig Iron here, and roughly two dozen by my Dogoons. Let's say a dozen were ripped apart by the eagles, and we still have about eight hundred and fifty goblins and forty seven giants. Not counting an unknown number of worg and wolf riders they kept in reserve. Normally after suffering such a loss like they just experienced, the goblins would scatter back into their holes in the mountains, but if Jose is correct, a higher power is controlling them and will reform their ranks soon. My best estimate is that they will hide in the low land valleys for now to forage enough food and supplies to attempt another siege. I give them one maybe two weeks before they mount another assault. The next time, the ruse with the dragon will not work I'm afraid, "sighed Trent.

Maid blinked in disbelief and slumped into her stool. " Are you telling me, all that battle and bloodshed was for nothing? Essuria may still fall, and I'll lose my beautiful Tavern?" inquired the innkeeper in a small voice . The table fell silent as the sounds of celebration almost drowned her question.

"Hopefully the other city states will notice our plight and send reinforcements to break the siege. Though I must admit that most of them are already plagued by their own problems at the moment…..", began Trent.

Kit shook her head and grinned. Then she pointed at Sir Jose who was still the center of attention of the parade. "Fear not. When tactics fail, then courage, honor, and of course brute force will save the day. After all the goblins are afraid of the dragon, and Sir Jose drove the dragon away. If the goblins aren't afraid of Sir Jose now, I guarantee you that they will be , " remarked the squire proudly. Kit thought over her statement and realized how dumb she just sounded. She regret saying it and blamed the fruity drink she had been imbibing. " I'm sure Sir Jose will think of a clever idea or something. " she added , not knowing what else to say.

* * *

Kit marched behind her master and Greenpaw. She thought this was one of Sir Jose's dumbest ideas. "So just two of us? I thought if we were going to march out and strike the enemy, we would bring as big a force as we can muster. I can understand striking them while they are still organized and perhaps razing and supplies they've gathered, but I don't see how the three of us are going to fight a thousand goblins and giants, " noted the squire.

Jose seemed lost in thought and ignored her comment. " Keeta…were you with me in Veb? And if you were did you recall me dueling a cambion demon of some sort named Maltheul or Malleus of Zeratul or Zeletar or something like that? " He asked cryptically.

Kit shook her head. " From my talks with Jimmy and the Lady Stille, I believe you were in Veb roughly a year before taking me under your wing. However , Jimmy did mention some epic battle you had with a dark skin demon , but he would not elaborate for fear that recalling that fight would…and I quote…'make him stupid'," shrugged the young squire.

Sir Jose listened to her statement and nodded. "Did he mention if I owed this guy any money or something, cause I don't remember him but he certainly recalls me. Normally that means a debt or maybe I dated his sister or something. I would have remembered something like that I think," he stated with a shudder.

Kit laughed slightly," I believe that this was during your so called, bad old days, when you would drink yourself stupid after a great victory. From Jimmy's tales I assumed you won an exceptional battle in Veb, and therefore must have drank heavily in celebration. "

Jose frowned and nodded. "I suppose you're right. " The knight fell silent in contemplation then turned back to his squire. "I've really cut back you know. It's not easy but I'm trying, " he said solemnly.

"Woof!", barked Greenpaw.

Kit sighed and returned the nod. "I know you have, " she stated. Her master was a great warrior, who had done many heroic deeds in the past. Not the least was saving her from the Rakshasa lord Mogombo. Despite all his victories, he had lost so much from his addiction of drink. She shook her head at his loss. He lost the love of his love, and seemingly he lost some of his memory as well.

As the small group continued to march, Kit's ears heard something near and hissed a signal to stop to her lord. Greenpaw halted but instead of growling he barked happily as the small form of Sergeant Trent and his own shaggy dog appeared in front of them. She cursed herself at not differentiating his dog's scent from Greenpaw's earlier.

"What took you guys so long? Fluffly and I have been waiting hours," scoffed the Halfling as he saluted the knight and the young squire.

Jose return the salute and smiled, " We didn't want to leave so soon after you did, in case the goblins are watching the town. "

"Goblins? Sentries? Highly doubtful, and even if they did place one they would probably have fallen asleep by now," commented Trent with a smile.

Kit nodded in agreement. Her own limited experience with goblins, taught her they were unreliable at best.

"They did have sentries, but don't worry. They won't be waking up," responded a soft voice from the shadows.

Kit spun and saw Maid carrying a crude goblin bow and blade stepping out from behind a rock . The young squire looked at her friend inquisitively since she did not detect her presence, unlike their first encounter. Did she fail her vigilance in perceiving the strange Innkeeper, or did Maid take more care to avoid detection this time?

"I assume you will be accompanying us my dear Maid ?", bowed Trent at the pretty young woman.

"I have my business interests to look after you know, " smiled Maid.

"Ahh, I anticipated you would be coming , so I had these commissioned for you, " smiled Trent as he rode up to the Innkeeper. He took out a wooden case and a quiver from his saddle bag and presented it to her. Maid's cheeks grew red at the gift and gasped when she opened it.

"They're …they're beautiful, "stuttered the young woman in shock. Kit peered at her friend's present and found they were a masterfully crafted short sword, a black composite bow of some quality, and a suit of light chain made of some bright silvery metal. Kit did not doubt Maid's ability to use the weapons , and was glad she was given something besides those crappy goblin weapons to use. She secretly cursed herself for not thinking of getting her friend those gifts before the Halfling did. The squire did question the reasoning behind the suit of chain though. She knew from personal experience that heavier armor made it a lot more difficult to sneak around in, which was Maid's single greatest survival technique.

"Fear not, that's Halfling silver, you can wear it under your clothes to avoid its detection," noted Trent as he seemingly read the squire's thoughts. " Wait….that's a poor translation. I believe humans call that mithral, a metal that's as strong as steel but light as silk,"added the Halfling.

Maid was flustered and in an instant hugged the Halfling tightly. Trent was caught off guard and Kit smiled as he watched the small soldier smothered against her friend's ample bosom. "Thank you, thank you! " the innkeeper exclaimed.

"If you guys are done , we have a lot of marching ahead of us. The journey will be getting a lot harder soon, we'll be going uphill for a long stretch," interrupted Sir Jose with a bemused look .

"Wait… I thought you guys said the goblin horde is recovering in the low valleys. Shouldn't we be going down hill ? ", asked Kit in puzzlement.

"Goblins? Who said anything about the goblin horde? ", scoffed the knight. " Look, Gregor says he believes a higher power is in charge of this motley band threatening Essuria. I didn't see any sign of them during the siege, or in our pursuit action. Gregor was there, but he's not the one calling the shots. I'm guessing whoever is pulling the strings is hiding out in their lair still. I figure our victory has bought us one or two weeks to flush this cowardly mastermind out and make him pay for his crimes. "

"Wait….what if the goblins attack before then? ", asked Kit.

"Trent's outriders are in town , hopefully they'll have more citizens trained and armed to serve as militia by then. Also after the last disastrous assault, they will be more careful next time. That's why Trent and I did not leave together. For all the enemy knows, we're still in town. ", commented Jose with a grin.

Kit wasn't sure if it was a clever or a stupid plan. It wouldn't take much magic or scouting to determine that Jose and Trent were not in town. Even if Maid did take out their scouts, that didn't mean they wouldn't post more. Kit then wondered if goblins were organized and careful enough to consider this, and then she wondered if she gave their foes too much credit. Before she could voice her doubts though, she raised her hand and signalled a stop. She heard something heavy and loud following them.

Maid smiled at Kit and playfully yanked one of her ears as she casually continued her march. "Oh don't worry. That's just Pig Iron. He's also concerned about his investment and decided to tag along. He's been following me for a while now," she explained. " Oh …and Kit, your ears are showing ."

Sir Jose shook his head, even as Kit grew red in embarrassment. The were-fox knew that revealing her true nature strangers could be potentially dangerous, but she relaxed when she realized that this group was now her friends.


	11. Chapter 11

"So …let me get this straight," began Maid. "We're going to save Essuria by cutting the strings of the puppet master or puppet masters that you guys suspect are controlling the goblin horde."

Jose grimaced and nodded but remained silent. Kitahria knew her lord fairly well, and guessed he was not completely in favor of this stage of their plan and could see a sliver of dissatisfaction in him.

Sergeant Trent however was much more cheerful in his answer. "Yes my dear. I believe that was already explained earlier. We cannot weather a prolonged siege from our foe, so we will use the time we earned from our last battle to exact a surgical strike against the enemies' shadowy command."

Maid frowned at the answer and glanced at Kit who shrugged in return. "So...do we actually know who this bad guy puppet master is? ", continued the Innkeeper as she voiced Kit's question.

"Not at this moment.", answered Jose.

"Okay…. So your master plan is to wander mindlessly in these treacherous mountains till we find our foes? Do we know anything useful about them? ", gasped Maid in disbelief. Pig Iron clawed the air with both his hands before pouncing at an invisible critter before him. "Pig Iron thinks the plan is stupid too," noted the Innkeeper as she translated the dwarf's pantomiming.

Jose scowled at being questioned but Trent held out his hand. "Jose and I have discussed this. From your conversation with the former mayor Gregor it sounds like our ultimate foe has been receiving much supplies from Essuria until your band abruptly shut them down. From the ledgers that Jose had recovered, these supplies consist of not just a few odds and ends, but a substantial amount of construction supplies and many rare esoteric materials that cannot easily be obtained in the Western Freeholds, "commented the Halfling.

Kit thought it odd that her master would recover Gregor's notes, that was something she would have done, but she also recalled she was knocked out and incapacitated after that battle.

"Such large shipments would not go unnoticed by the locals. Even if the enemy is exclusively underground, which I suspect is the case; one of the supplies transported in quantity is coke, "continued Trent. Pig Iron stopped and wrinkled his nose then stretched in approval at his comment.

"Coke umm….like the drug ?", asked Kit as she attempted to block out the dwarf's strange behavior.

Maid giggled at the confused squire's comment. "Hee hee, the goblins aren't have a drug fueled party. No…I think he means the form of refined coal that is notable for its relative lack of smoke and higher temperatures it can reach. It is the most mundane fuel used mainly in the production of smelting iron or adamant when a volcano or some gate way to the elemental plane of fire is not present. Steel can be produced efficiently with it, but the quality of adamant is often poor and unusable for most purposes. "

Kit wondered how Maid knew all this. She saw the rest of the group nod in approval to the Innkeeper's answer and she shrank back a little at her ignorance of the subject.

"Clever girl, that is correct! ", applauded Trent. "If the enemy is burning vast quantities of coke in the mountain, they could be running a full factory operation near us and we would not notice unless we had a direct line of sight, something that we do not have the luxury of having because of the terrain. Due to the treacherous nature of this area, most notably the goblins and other monstrous hazards, very few people wander from the main roads, rendering our elusive foe practically invisible to the city states. "

Maid scratched her head. "Umm….I guess this is a bad thing?"

Jose sighed."Yes our foe will be difficult to track, but they are not invisible. Though they hide the most tell-tale sign of their presence, which is smoke, there will still be other by products that will be hard to mask , most notably slag and heat. They could hide the slag in an underground cavern or chamber, but I highly doubt this since their tunnels would soon be choking with the stuff unless there was some bottomless chasm to dump it in. The heat of course would be harder to mask, and from estimating the amount of coke that had been transported it should generate a withered heath around whatever ventilation port they are using. Especially here in these snow covered peaks. "

"I see, that is if they are using all these supplies themselves. They could be just middlemen and buying this stuff from Gregor to make a profit in the underdark or shadowlands, "noted the Innkeeper.

Underdark…a term that Kit had heard often but knew very little about. To the best of her knowledge it was a vast series of interconnected tunnels used by the seldom seen underground races. According to most folklore it was the place where monsters would crawl out of. Though few explorers in Vinnraj had traversed that realm, she knew that this nebulous realm had been extensively mapped and in certain parts conquered by the militant Grommers and their dwarven allies.

"No. If this was merely about losing a supply depot, the enemy would have just left and found another one or more likely secure a more easily obtainable source of coke. There are more accessible points to the underdark and to this refined fuel than the middle of nowhere in the Western Freeholds. The enemy also risks much to gather a horde to attack the town as well. I figure their base of operations must be close and they desire the sizable amount of supplies that Gregor had accumulated in his basement and his other warehouses in town," responded Trent . "An astute observation though, "complimented the Halfling which brought a practiced smile to the Innkeeper.

Kit pondered the Halfling's deductions. "Okay. I understand a little more now. I am assuming that's the reason you left the town relatively undefended. I guess you left Trent's dogoons instructions to use the remaining coke as bargaining chips for the civilians lives if things go bad. Of course you didn't announce this directly for fear of spies or traitors who would turn the stuff over to save their cowardly hides. "

Jose looked surprised at his squire. "Very good Keeta. I knew you would figure it out , but not so quickly. "

Kit wondered if that was a slight or a compliment. She then shook her head and continued. " That part was easy. I knew the goblins were after something when they attacked so brazenly. It would be better if they waited us out in a long siege or simply stepped up attacks on the caravan than risk a direct assault on the town. The part I don't understand is you still haven't explained how we will find these guys. It sounds like we have to search every mountain nearby systematically for slag deposits or a big heating vent. Considering the enemy seems to want to hide their presence and would most likely attempt to conceal these signs, the best case scenario is that it would take weeks or even months. Possibly less if we split up , but that's foolish considering our treacherous surroundings. "

Trent nodded. "Agreed. Such a task is outside our time frame if we searched on foot, however it would be possible if we had a bird's eye view of the environment. "

Kit puzzled over the Halfling's statement then she nodded in understanding. " Ahh, I understand. The eagles, or more correctly the person summoning the eagles that have been helping us out. Surely if anyone knows where the enemy is hiding it's this benevolent druid person you've referred to in the past."

"Woof! ", barked Greenpaw in agreement wagging as he wagged his tail. Kit smiled at the big green dog, but noticed that Jose was growing more annoyed at the conversation. She could sense her earlier discontent bubbling to the surface of the normally calm knight.

Trent nodded at Kit even as he sighed. "Correct once again. Jose and I suspect, that if anyone knows where our foe's lair is, it would be the local reclusive druid ." At the mention of her lord's agreement Kit saw a slight quiver in Sir Jose's eyebrow, but no protest. She knew that even though he agreed with the Halfling he definitely did not like it.

" However I must point out , that I've never actually met this person or possibly group of persons, but I do know the approximate territory he or they claim guardianship over. From my knowledge of the area, few people have met the druid, and even then they saw only totems or carved stones marking his land. I myself have only met the druid a few times, and then it was only indirectly. Once he sent eagles to save my patrol from a giant ambush, and another time he recovered one of my men who we thought lost in an avalanche. We found him unconscious and on the path back to town , his wounds mended and covered in a single giant eagle feather for warmth. He muttered something about a green woman, but I can not confirm or deny that is the druid we seek. Given the fact the druid has aided us recently against the dragon Magda and the goblin horde, I think we can convince him to help us, "stated Trent.

"Are you certain of this? If you recall, the eagles only helped us near the end of the battle with the dragon and with the goblins. Also this person has not attempted to contact us to coordinate his attacks against our foes in the past. If anything this person is very conservative with his aid at best, or opportunistic at the worse, "observed Kit. Pig Iron stretched and pawed once in agreement.

Trent thought over her words then was about to reply, but Sir Jose finally spoke and interrupted him. " A valid opinion Keeta. I agree that druids are not the most trustworthy of allies. I prefer civilized clerics who owe their allegiance to something easily identifiable with like a god or a religion rather than back water murderous druids that worship and sacrifice to something nebulous like …nature of all things. Even on the battlefield, their pagan aid is questionable compared to a proper holy man. They are more fragile due to their inability to wear metal armor , their healing skills are far inferior, comparable to that of a paladin, and even their summoned allies are limited and focused to animals and a few elementals only. The only thing they excel at is treacherous attacks from the woods. They have their situational uses of course, but as I stated before I prefer a proper cleric rather than a half feral druid to watch my back. You just can't trust them. Having said this, all we require of this druid is to point out our enemy. I would prefer another way but Trent says it's the fastest course of action. Even if this nature hayseed is skittish about battle, his interests and ours will be served if he just directed us to our foe. I'm sure that he realizes that an army of goblins and a massive iron smelting factory is much more harmful to his precious land than we can ever be, so even the most primitive and reclusive of these idiot nature callers would see the advantages of lending us assistance," scowled the knight angrily.

Trent and Maid were stunned at the paladin's outburst and remained silent. Kit on the other hand shook her head at her master's limited views. She admitted that due to her upbringing in the very populous land of Vinnraj, she had little interaction with the mysterious druids of Grom, but even then she thought her master's reaction was a bit arrogant. Even if what he said was true, it seemed to Kit a very bad way to refer to someone they wanted information from. She seldom saw this mean spirited side of Jose unless he was drunk, and wondered if there was some past encounter with a druid that soured the knight's views.

* * *

The group made steady progress through the mountains for a day and a night. There were definite signs of goblins along the way, hacked trees, messy camp sites, even their spoor; but thankfully none were recent. Kitahria actually hoped they encountered a few goblins, since the last outburst by her lord made their march uncomfortably silent. Even the normally cheerful Maid seemed a bit taken back by the knight's foul demeanor. A slaughter would not only slake her natural blood lust but cheer up the now sullen and moody Sir Jose , she thought.

Later that day , Trent who served as guide and scout, called for one of their many short food rest. Kit was use to the long forced marches that Jose and her took, and was a bit pleased and annoyed at the many meal breaks the Halfling seemed to require. It was a nice change of pace, but the squire thought it a bit frivolous considering the time constraints they were under. Regardless of the actual need for the break, Kit thought it a good time to confront Sir Jose about his earlier statement.

Jose was on guard duty as the rest took their rations, and Kit slid up to the hard faced warrior sentried away from the group.

"So boss…..what do you think the enemy needs all that iron ore for? Weapons and armor? I would think it would be easier to just smuggle the finished product, " asked the squire attempting to slowly ease him up to her questions.

The knight shrugged. "We don't even know if they are actually refining iron. I think whatever they are doing , it's something localized. Plenty of coal in the underdark, but Trent told me there is little in the Western Freeholds. There is plenty of iron and some really low grade adamant here though."

"Hmm…. Intriguing, "commented Kit. " So you think they are making iron to trade elsewhere?"

Sir Jose shook his head, "Doubtful. Although I'm not a smith, even I know it would be cheaper to just buy the finished iron from the locals. There's more than one corrupt mayor like Gregor I think in the various towns here. As for the adamant, they can smelt it, but they can't make the weapon grade material that the dwarves use. The stuff here is fairly low grade to begin with. As you know adamant is a magical metal. Only specialized forges , that are almost non-existent can make and work that stuff. Even a volcano, dragon's fire, or something like phoenix flames isn't able to readily heat the forge to make the weapon grade alloy reliably. I've been told that it isn't hot enough or the heat isn't consistent enough for the job. "

Kit blinked in disbelief. "Really? Everyone who uses weapons for a living knows what adamant is, but I didn't know it was that hard to work. I guess that's why adamant weapons are so rare and valuable. Even a non-magical adamant blade can cost up to a 1000 gold. "

Jose relaxed a bit and nodded. " Besides a few rare places in the outer planes, mortals have a hard time working that material. The dwarves at Khazag Narg use to possess something they called the 'Great Forge' that could steadily produce the stuff. A mystical artifact recovered from ancient ruins by the legendary Sampson and Saint Dale the dragonslayer no less. Unfortunately that was lost during the dwarf civil war a few centuries ago. Recently there are rumors that the Dwarven Princess Ymir and the demon Emperor Clovis have somehow replicated the forge. They of course deny this, but no one can deny the small but steady stream of adamant that has come from her Thaig since then. "

Kit smiled at the knowledge, but it wasn't getting her anywhere. She saw the rest of her group finishing their meal and knew her time was short. "So what's your grudge against druids?", she blurted out , attempting to use the direct approach .

Jose looked at her sternly and remained silent. "Squires should know their place and not question their lords, " he scowled .

Kit considered apologizing, but continued to probe. "Look , you told me you considered me a friend and not a cohort or henchman or something. I see that this is troubling you deeply, and as a friend I want to help. We're going to be meeting this druid or something soon, I think you should let go of whatever grudge you have against them . I don't know much about them, except they are supposed to be benevolent protectors of the wild. Obviously you do not feel the same."

Sir Jose turned away from Kit. The squire sighed at her stubborn lord and began walking back to the rest of the group. As she took a few steps, the knight began to speak.

"Before I met my lord Sir Rollo, I was just a warrior in my homeland of Darokin. I was a mere simple sell sword from the poverty stricken northern regions that plied his trade in the much more prosperous southern regions. A mercenary I guess you could say, " said Jose softly. Kit stopped and listened attentively to her lord's tale.

"I was mostly employed in small private armies to battle orcs and goblins, much like Sergeant Trent here, but I was also employed as an extra blade by adventurers on many occasions, " continued the knight. Kit nodded and cracked a smile. She could easily see that, Jose was bigger, stronger, and braver than most humans. He would be the obvious choice to recruit if a band needed additional muscle.

"One time, I was hired by a ..friend...to accompany a band to a wild region known simply as the borderlands. There was talk about various tribes of humanoids working together in an area known as the 'caves of chaos' of all things. Only a single solitary keep stopped this horde from raiding the civilized lands, but even this fortification was unable to keep the monstrous tide at bay. "

Kit suppressed a yawn. This story was generic enough she thought. Defending a ' keep on the borderlands' was adventuring basics. The only thing more cliche she thought, was going into some cave 'in search of the unknown' or storming some palace occupied by a silver princess or something, she chuckled to herself.

"The band I was with was small but fairly competent. They were my employers but I considered them both mentors and friends. I was sure we would wreak havoc on the humanoids in these so called 'caves of chaos', sadly we never made it there, " sighed the knight.

Kit paused and her ears perked up.

"As we made our way through the wilderness, we were confronted by a strange but kindly old man that lived in a tree of all things. He had branches and leaves in his beard, and a crazed look about him but he seemed harmless enough. He offered us directions and aid, which we readily accepted. Unfortunately for us his ruse was just to position us for his ambush. Soon the grass and vines in the area ensnared us as the man viciously cackled in delight. That wasn't so bad, but then his animal companion…a terrible cougar leaped into our midst and slew the … mage ...and rogue of our group, " Jose stopped as his voice began to crack.

Kit noticed the way that her lord said mage, and suspected that she was a woman and the pair was probably close or at least someone he admired. She didn't need to hear the rest of the story though as she could guess what happened next, but Jose continued his tale.

"The fighter broke free of the vines first with her great strength and hacked a path towards me. She dragged me to safety even as the crazed hermit and his cougar rended the cleric apart. As you can guess, the pair of us returned defeated to the keep. I don't know why this druid attacked us. I don't know if we broke some unspoken law about the wild, or tip the balance of nature somehow. I'm not even sure if that druid was just simply insane. I do know that the mage…my party was needlessly slaughtered by that hermit. The fighter and I went our separate ways afterwards, but I've harbored a deep mistrust to druids ever since. "confessed the knight.

Kit shed a tear for her lord and understood his situation. Her original family was supposedly slaughtered by the Rakshasa Mogombo, but she was too young to have developed any ties or recalled much about them. She never knew any family or friends really, except the group of demon hunters that had rescued her a few years ago from the Rakshasa. If they were slaughtered for no reason, she could see herself harboring a deep resentment to not just whoever did it, but anyone that even resembled the culprit. She was sure that any villager that lost a family member to that goblin attack recently would most likely harbor a similar resentment to goblins, regardless if they were part of the recent horde or not. She heard of some isolated goblin tribes that lived in peace, but given the choice those villagers would wipe them out if given a chance. It wasn't the right thing to do, but it was the way of the world she thought. Paladins like her lord were supposed to be above such pettiness, but saying love your enemy was one thing, doing it was another.

As Kit pondered her lord's plight, Sergeant cheerfully interrupted the uneasy silence. " Let's get a move on ladies and gentleman. We are nearing our destination. I've already spotted a few totems along the way. We'll talk this druid and be on our merry way back to goblin killing I hope, " jested the Halfling.

Kit smiled and waved at Trent and glanced at Jose who was grinning. She saw that some of her lord's humor had returned and guessed that his revelation was more helpful than she had thought.

The group continued their march up the rocky brush of the mountain. Trent pointed out many hidden totems and stone carvings that even Kit had trouble spotting, and the group knew they were nearing their destination.

Jose normally rode ahead of the group, behind Trent who was scouting but shielding the rest of the group. He waved Kit to him , and the squire promptly hastened forwards. "Thanks Keeta. I needed to get that off my chest. I'm sure I'm just overreacting. I can't base the actions of one crazed druid and judge all druids in that same light, "admitted the knight.

Kit smiled but then her ears perked up.

"Woof! ", growled Greenpaw as the massive husky came a halt.

Above their trail on a rocky ledge stood a tall woman in an unkempt green robe with what appeared to be flowers in her hair. " Be gone from my land! ", she screeched hysterically. Kit attempted to focus her eyes to get a better look at her, but suddenly the woman's hand reached to something on her neck . She plucked what seemed like a glowing ember from a necklace and threw it at the group.

The area was engulfed in flames and smoke. Even Kit's magical hide was no defense against the ball of fire that had painfully engulfed her. She instinctively took cover behind Greenpaw which seemed immune or at least resilient to the flames. She glanced back and saw Pig Iron rolling on the path in silent flaming terror, and despaired when she saw no sign of Maid. She looked up and saw Jose scowl and draw his blade, the green robed woman was about fifty feet above them in a difficult slope , but she wagered that Greenpaw could still clear that distance. Before he knight and his mount could charge though, a chorus of roars shattered the the mountain air and a swarm of bears and other beasts seemed to materialize out of the brush before charging towards them.


	12. Chapter 12

Kitahria ignored the pain from her singed skin and her burnt hair. She guessed the tide of animals must have emerged from a cave or perhaps was masked by an illusion of some sort. She swiftly drank a potion to ward off any more fire damage, a staple for demon hunters, and then drew her blades. The weight of the kukris in her hand seemed to lend her strength as her bloodlust rose and instilled in her a yearning for violence.

Kit glanced back and through the smoke she saw what appeared to be a half dozen man-sized badgers swarm the dwarf. Pig Iron had taken the brunt of the fiery blast earlier and his skin was blackened and bled where it had cracked, despite this the stout dwarf swung his blade at the lead badger. She noticed that even through the smoke and soot the dwarf's sword still shone a bright gold as it slammed into the creature's side bringing it crashing along the charred path. The other badgers however were undeterred and battered and bit Pig Iron relentlessly. Anyone else would have fell to the ground, but his legendary dwarf stability proved well deserved. Well above them she spotted what appeared to be a large eagle, observing the battle from high above.

Kit felt a rustle of movement next to her and saw Greenpaw bound up the slope towards the attacking druid.

"Keeta , help the others! ", shouted Jose as he urged his mount up the slope. The young squire nodded and began to run to the dwarf's side, but just as quickly a large shadow loomed over her. She ducked and rolled from the mass, and saw Greenpaw being tackled by the biggest bear she had ever seen. It was a massive beast, as big as an elephant, covered in fur and with cruel bone spurs sprouting from its hide. The big husky yelped in pain and surprise as the bear bit into its neck. Surprisingly, Sir Jose was not dismounted and hacked relentlessly at the beast , striking its face and shoulder repeatedly.

Kit watched the trio tumble off the path and down the slope and for a moment she locked eyes with another bear, much smaller than the one that attacker her lord, but still as big as a horse. She had encountered even smaller bears in the east, but even they were feared for their berserker fury. The brief glance she exchanged with the beast before her left her with an odd feeling. She noted it had a dull glaze over its eye.

Clarity struck Kit like lightning.

"They're charmed! They're ….," she began yelling before being flattened to the ground by the creature.

The squire half expected her enchanted skin to fail once again like it had on numerous occasions recently, but fortunately it held. Despite her magical protection, the weight of the bear drove the air from her small chest. Remarkably she managed to hold on to her curved daggers, and instinctively slashed wildly upwards at her captor with it. To Kit's relief her sudden counterattack seemed to have worked, and the bear released its pin over her, but just as quick it lunged with its maw at her face.

Kit slashed at its head twice in a panic. One blade was deflected by its bone spurs but the other sliced and tore open the beast's eye. The creature ignored the pain and clamped down on her shoulder and shook her vigorously side to side. Kit screamed in pain as the bear's vice like jaw managed to pierce even her enchanted skin, spilling blood and cracking bones in the process. Pain and panic seized her briefly, but she swiftly calmed down. She was the hunter not the hunted.

The squire ignored her deadly predicament and noticed the bear snapped at her occasionally to improve its grip. She endured the pain for what seemed like agonizing seconds and focused her remaining strength in a burst of speed when the creature snapped her up once more. Her long hours of training in the art of escape paid off as she managed to squirm and slip from the bear's grip. Kit had long dropped her blades, but swiftly grew out her claws and teeth as she rolled from the fall and scrambled behind the bear. Her natural weapons were pitifully small compared to her opponent's but were sufficiently sharp to tear through the bear's hide. Kit slashed repeatedly into the bear's rear , using all her training and skill to exact the most damage she can from the beast. The bear initially ignored her attacks as its small mind failed to comprehend that she had escaped its clutches, but it swiftly reared up and turned to face her.

Kit hopped back from the bear's claw and snarled like the wild animal that she was at her foe, growing out her ears and tail involuntarily in the process. She waited patiently for its next attack, hoping to dodge then perhaps strike at its remaining eye, but suddenly the roar of another fiery blast echoed behind her.

Kit assumed it was the green robed woman once again, but instead of panicking at additional foes, she saw a glint of red shine off one of her discarded blades. The bear's attention was also momentarily distracted by the fiery burst, and Kit seized the opportunity. She tumbled forwards, dangerously close to its legs, grabbed the dagger and stabbed it deeply into its foot.

The bear roared more in anger than in pain as it fell on all fours and shifted its mass once more towards her. Kit wrenched the blade out of its foot, viciously mangling tendons and cartilage before spinning away from the creature's bite. She only took a few steps back and barely managed to evade the bear's bite. Though she had fought the creature briefly her mind had already gauged its reach and speed. She then flashed her tail that she had involuntarily grew out earlier and smiled as she saw the bear's gaze follow it. She seized its lapse in concentration once again and slashed her dagger at its remaining glazed dull eye.

The bear roared in torment as it swatted its head in pain. Kit guessed it couldn't comprehend that it was blinded and sought to tear off whatever was obscuring its vision. The creature even attempted to stand up once more to evade its unseen attacker but its damaged foot couldn't support its weight. It twisted vainly before it fell and rolled down the slope.

Kit shook her head at her blinded fallen foe. She hoped it broke its neck or died quickly. It was charmed and didn't deserve the fate she delivered to it.

The squire quickly scanned the battlefield, and noted that Pig Iron was still holding his own against the badgers. The dwarf was covered in cuts and blood, but seemed to be almost grinning at the challenge against him, the bodies of two dead dire badgers was a testament to his ferocity. Higher up the slope, she saw a burned carcass smoldering on the mountain. She winced as she realized it was Fluffy or Shaggy, or whatever Trent's dog's name was. She guessed that was the target of the second fiery blast. On the ledge above her, she caught a glimpse of Sergeant Trent engaging the green robed woman. She only saw the pair briefly, but she can already tell the Halfling was badly wounded. What was more infuriating was his opponent was laughing as she toyed with him with what appeared to be a flaming whip. Kit didn't know much about druids but thought it and odd weapon for her to be using. The eagle was still circling high above, and Kit still awaited its attack. The squire despaired as she saw no sign of Maid . Though she saw where Greenpaw and Jose fell, she could not spot them through the dust and smoke. She wasn't worried though, since she saw her lord take much worse in the past . Falling off a cliff while wrestling a dire bear would not be enough to finish him off she thought with a grin.

Kit knew that Trent needed the most help, but decided to aid Pig Iron first. It was tactically better to support success than to reinforce failure. It was a cold decision but she knew that the military minded Trent would understand. She began to dash towards the dwarf, but a growl and a churr from one of the badgers interrupted her charge. The creature felled to the side and kicked helplessly in its death throes as Maid emerged from the shadows behind it ; her new blade covered in blood. Kit smiled at her friend's appearance, but her cheer turn to a cry of warning as a tanned blur struck the Innkeeper in the side. A thin lion , well out of its natural habitat thought Kit, pounced on Maid with its claws and knocked her unceremoniously to the rocky ground.

Kit was about to throw her blade at the lion, but the dwarf clawed and wrinkled its nose at this new opponent, even as he was fending off the remaining badgers. The lion, to the squire's surprise, stopped its attack on Maid . It appeared stunned and paced in confusion for a few seconds , before leaping away into the brush.

Kit was baffled to say the least, but saw that Maid scrambling weakly to her feet. The shaken Innkeeper soon recovered and soon the pair seemed to have the situation well in hand now, Kit thought. She looked up on the edge, and heard a pained high pitched yelp from who she figured was Trent. She ran directly at the slope even though it was too steep to scale in her human or even bipedal form. She saw a less difficult path where Trent's mount was incinerated, but that would take too long she guessed. Instead she transformed fully and slipped from her clothes and dropped her blade.

As a fox, Kit was hampered by her reduced size and lack of weapons and armor, but her swift and nimble movements were unrivaled. She acrobatically hopped and bounded from rock to ledge, to stone, to even uneven dirt , unfettered and unimpeded . As she neared the ledge where Trent and the green robed woman were fighting, she caught the sound of a flutter of wings, akin to a bat, and a dark charcoal sulfur scent. Kit saw nothing but trusted her other senses. She expected the eagle to attack and jumped back even as a volley of flaming spikes slammed into her former position. Instead of the great winged bird of prey, Kit caught sight of a small black, bat winged humanoid hovering about five feet above her former position. Kit saw it was covered in sharp smouldering spines, its eyes were jet black malicious orbs, and it sported a proud smug toothy grin.

"Spinagon, " she thought to herself even as she snarled and leaped up at her foe's throat. The spined creature was a denizen of the nine hells, a minor devil similar to an imp. While imp's were mischievous and often used as messengers and spies, spinagons were mainly used as skirmishers in the unending bloodwars of the lower planes. Most people did not know these facts, but Kit smiled inwardly at her demon hunting lore, even as she ripped into the creature with her small fangs.

Her opponent was surprised and shocked to say the least from the ferocity of Kit's attack. It's confident smile evaporated, and was replaced with a look of panic as the weight of its attacker caused the pair to slam into the rocky slope. It quickly realized its sharp spikes were having no effect on his foe. Kit was about the same size as her foe, but her lean battle hardened muscles, and years of battle training were more than a match for this infernal denizen. She tasted its sulfurous blood even as she noted that the creature also had some sort of enchanted skin, but it was minor to say the least, and did not save it from her attacks. She also felt the creature's spikes were bathed in fire, but luckily the fire resistant potion she drank earlier was still in effect.

As Kit prepared to finish the beast, it suddenly released a choking miasma around it. Kit coughed more in surprise than from its noxious fumes, but the spined devil took the opportunity and fled from her. The squire would not be so easily denied though, and snapped once more into its wings as it retreated, tearing the appendage off with a satisfying snap. The creature screeched in pain , as it spun in the air a few feet, before plummeting off the mountain . Kit didn't see where it landed through the smoke and dust, but was satisfied that it was out of the battle. She turned upwards towards the slope again, and began bounding towards the Halfling's aid.

When she arrived, she saw the green robed woman cruelly toying with Trent. She was a tall shapely woman, taller than even Maid, and had a youthful beauty about her. Kit thought she might have been mistaken for a nymph or some other comely nature spirit under different circumstances, but instead her savage visage and feral image made her appear like a wild harrigan or evil witch from some children's tale. Her robe was ratty and unkempt and her long light brown, almost blonde hair grew wildly from her head. Kit also noticed a necklace around her neck with several glowing orbs attached to it.

The green robed woman's face was twisted in a cruel smile, as she lashed a flaming whip into her foe. Kit noted that she was uninjured and was toying with her opponent. Sergeant Trent blocked the lashes as best he could with his shield, and attempted a feeble charge at his foe. The green robed woman moved with unnatural speed, and seemed to hover above the Halfling's failed attack. She lashed Trent with her fiery whip for his effort and cackled as he fell onto the rocky ledge. Kit saw that he was covered in cruel black lash marks that still smouldered and her blood lust was ignited once more.

Kit sized her opponent, and for some reason thought she moved like a lizard of some sort. Even though she thought herself quicker, the squire took the woman's unnatural speed into account as she sprinted towards her. The green robed woman didn't seem to notice her approach, but Kit wasn't about to gamble Trent's life on her own pride. Even with a jump in her animal form Kit was too small to strike at her opponent's throat, but the squire decided an attack on her whip hand was more prudent. The were-fox bit deeply into her opponent but was baffled when her jaws sank into her arm.

Kit expected some sort of bark skin or some other druidic protection spell, but was taken back by a similar charcoal sulfur taste that the spinagon had. A moment of clarity struck her when she realized that her foe wasn't a woman at all. She was some sort of shape changed fiend.

Immediately Kit regretted leaving her weapons behind. She had silvered weapons, and good aligned gear suited for battling creatures like this, but unfortunately had to leave them behind when she took Fox form. Kit realized her dire predicament and decided it was best if she simply held on tight to her opponent for now. If she couldn't hurt it, at least she could foil any spell casting.

The disguised woman cackled once again, and grasped Kit's tail. It yanked the fox off of her, evoking a yelp from Kit. The disguised fiend then slammed Kit repeatedly into the ground like a flail before cackling at her stunned foe.

Kit struggled uselessly against the creature's supernatural strength. As she squirmed weakly in its grasp, her vision began to see through the creature's illusion. Though her sight was hazy she saw it was a bat winged humanoid, similar to the spinagon she had just defeated except it was the size of a large human. It was covered in red scales and had obvious draconic features. Through her pain filled eyes Kit though her opponent looked more like a dragonborn or some sort of winged lizard man , than a devil from the pit.

As the creature toyed with Kit , it was suddenly thrown off balance.

"For the shire!", shouted Trent as the tough little Halfling charged its leg. Kit thought Trent was finished but somehow he regained enough strength to rise once more and attempt this last ditched attack. The squire seized the opportunity and transformed herself into a full human once again. The sudden gain in weight, and the Halfling's rush unbalanced the creature and freed Kit.

Kit flipped and landed on her feet . Though she wasn't the most skilled hand to hand combatant, she was well trained in eastern unarmed arts. She centered her weight, and lashed out at her foe with a spinning round house kick. She knew it wouldn't hurt it, but hoped the blow would topple it off the ledge. Her foot connected with the creature's jaw with a meaty thud and it staggered back from the blow. It took a few steps back but to Kit's dismay it stopped before the edge.

The creature smiled at Kit and dropped its disguise completely. It stretched its wings and flew a few feet off the ground. "You expect to best me with a simple fall? ", it cackled and hissed in a mocking laugh.

Kit grew red with rage and scanned for a rock or something to bash her foe with. The attack would be futile as well, but smashing its smug face in would at least bring her some satisfaction. Trent fell to one knee, more out of fatigue then despair and the pair grimly faced their now revealed foe.

The creature swirled its long fiery tail and prepared to strike, but stopped as its whole body jerked upwards slightly. The creature screeched, and Kit saw a crossbow bolt jutting from its back. It was glowing white from holy fire and burned the creature's claws as it attempted to rip it from its back. Before it could recover from the attack, another bolt tore through its wing and it plummeted down the slope like the spinagon before it. Kit ran to the ledge, and saw the creature sprawled on the path. It reached for its necklace, but Pig Iron literally pounced on it and slammed his golden bastard sword into its head. Magic skin or not, the two handed strike by the angry dwarf split the devil's skin, skull , and brains neatly in two. Maid hopped over and stabbed her blade into the prone creature's back, cautiously making sure it was truly dead.

Kit saw Jose and Greenpaw through the rescinding smoke and dust further down the slope. She saw the massive husky atop the carcass of a gigantic bear, and saw her lord wave to her with his glowing crossbow. Though Sir Jose often channeled his holy energy through his blade, she knew that he could also deliver his divine wrath through his crossbow as well. There was a good reason that paladins were natural demon hunters she thought .

"Well fought Lass…however take this, " coughed Trent . Kit turned and saw the battered Halfling with his head turned away while offering her , his cloak. Kit then grew red with shame. She realized she was naked and quickly snatched the garment to cover herself.

"For the shire?" chuckled Kit as she graciously accepted the cloak.

"It's a common Halfling battle cry, " shrugged Trent as he looked away from the nubile young girl.

"I swear, I didn't know the druid was a devil. She was always reclusive, but she was also helpful, "explained the Halfling as he continued to advert his gaze. Kit smirked mischievously as her keen eyes saw the Halfling glance at her with his peripheral vision, despite his feigned shock at her lack of dress.

The cloak was small, but thankfully Kit wasn't that big as well. After she was sufficiently clothed she shook her head at the Halfling. " I don't think that creature is the druid we are seeking. I don't even think its a druid. "

"Eh? Why do you say that? Do you know where the real druid is then? ", asked Trent as he examined the contents of his pack. The Halfling frowned as he threw out shards of broken colored glass, before he smiled and retrieved an undamaged vial. He uncorked the potion and took a quaff, his injuries healing slightly, before offering it to Kit.

Kit accepted the drink and felt some of her injuries heal. Then she pointed to the sky as a large eagle descended gently towards them. The great bird of prey was a magnificent golden brown and landed at a respectful and safe distance from them. It bowed its head and appeared to wait patiently. " I don't know where this druid is hiding, but I bet he does, " smiled the squire.


	13. Chapter 13

Sergeant Trent did not protest as Sir Jose and Kitahria mounted the great golden eagle. The large bird of prey could transport one medium and possibly one smaller sized passenger, and it was decided that the knight and the squire should go. Pig Iron did not protest as he screeched at the bird before hiding behind a rock, while Maid acknowledged Kit's greater expertise in these matters. The Halfling wanted to go , but decided to bury his incinerated dog instead.

Kit thought it odd that Trent's emotions were so controlled after his mount's death, since the Halfling took its death stoically. Though she did not particularly like his shaggy mount, she expected some response from Trent. If Greenpaw died she knew that Jose would be visibly angry. Even though the paladin could summon another war husky if it was slain, it would not be the same mount she was told.

"We'll be back swiftly. If we don't return or send a signal by night fall, fall back to town and see to its defenses, "commanded Jose.

Trent nodded and saluted, while Pig Iron and Maid bobbed their heads in agreement.

With that the golden eagle took flight into the crisp mountain air.

* * *

The pair soared over the mountains and Kit was taken aback by the view. Most of the snow covered mountains were shrouded by mists but they were still magnificent to view. Kit could make out a small settlement from her literal bird's eye view, and thought it must have been Essuria. She could make out her small keep but none of the other buildings. The squire could not see where the goblins were camping though, but she did spot several plumes of smoke in the lower valleys.

Kit held onto Sir Jose tightly as they flew through the sky. Though she wasn't afraid of heights , aerial travel was definitely something she wasn't use to. The squire knew that many orders of Northern Knights were trained in many different type of flying mounts. Deadly griffons, swift Pegasus, vicious hippogriff, imperious dragons, and even mundane eagles and hawks were often used by the Great Orders. Kit didn't know if Sir Jose received any training in handling such creatures, or if he was simply too stupid to realize their precarious situation.

"Aren't you afraid that this might be a trap? ", Kit shouted through the roaring winds around them. It was her suggestion to follow the golden eagle, but she quickly questioned the safety of that idea.

"If this eagle wanted us dead, it would have attacked during the fight with the Abishai . We might still have won the battle, but we probably would have lost Trent and possibly the dwarf in the process, "responded Jose.

"Abishai? ", asked Kit.

"The red devil creature . They are principally the infernal minions of the dragon goddess Tiamat but they have been known to serve many different fallen masters, " replied the knight.

Kit nodded at the response. She had never heard of such a creature during her servitude to the Rakshasa Mogombo, but even she knew that there was a myriad of abyssal, infernal, and fiendish creatures from the lower planes. From tiny hell wasps to the gigantic bull like goristos , Kit knew her knowledge of the minions of the underworld was limited.

"Wait…dragon goddess…red devil creature? Do you think this has something to do with Magda? The old red dragon was chased off by eagles like this one, do you think she used some form of dragon magic on this eagle's master? ", pondered Kit .

Jose shrugged, "Perhaps. Dragons are skilled enough in magic to summon evil outsiders to serve them, but Red Dragons are more prone to summon demons rather than devils since they respect power and strength over skill and cunning, " he pointed out through the winds. Although her knowledge of the lower planes was limited, Kit did know the inherent differences between demons and devils. Demons were monstrous , wild , chaotic, and they loved raw destruction, while devils were regimented, deceitful, insidious, and loved to subvert the laws of the enemy. These two main evil factions of the lower planes hated each other and were forever locked in a bloody war of supremacy between them.

Kit scratched her head, and for a second she almost lost her grip on the knight. She involuntarily grew her claws and pierced the knight's side to maintain her grip.

"Oh my god…I'm sorry! ", she apologized as she noticed she drew a little blood from her action, but the knight only grunted in response.

Kit gave her lord a puzzled look, and wondered if her lord was use to such treatment from his former lover the lady Stille. The half fiend certainly had larger claws than herself if she chose to reveal them and she had a brief naughty image of her clawing the knight's back in a fit of lust. Kit quickly dispelled such impish thoughts and posed another question to her lord. " So..let me get this straight. The dragon queen has devil minions, but red dragons prefer demon lackeys. That makes little sense. Isn't there conflict between the two?"

Jose laughed. "Yes of course there is. Red dragons are not only one of the most dangerous creatures in both the prime and outer planes, but they are amongst the most unpredictable and treacherous as well. It doesn't matter what the dragon queen's most favored servants are; red dragon's would find a way to start trouble."

Kit nodded. She wasn't sure if Jose answered her question but it seemed a fair enough comment.

* * *

The golden eagle landed on the edge of a high brushy plateau. The pair dismounted and took account of the area. It was shrouded with mist, with a ring of plants and flowers growing in a ring along the outer edge, and a curious ring of standing stones in the middle. With Kit's limited knowledge about the mysterious nature priests, the area was exactly what she expected of a druid grove. The squire gave a swift glance to her master as he proceeded to the middle of the ledge and wondered what he was thinking.

"Are you sure you are OK with seeking this druid's aid? ", asked Kit as she followed, mindful of Jose's disastrous encounter with a druid earlier in his career.

Jose grunted. " Aid is a bit of an exaggeration. All I want is directions. Even a treacherous druid can be counted on for that."

Kit shook her head at his logic and mistrust. " If this druid is untrustworthy, why would he or she give you the right directions. For all we know the directions that will be given to us will lead us into a bear lair, or a cave full of poisonous gas. That is if we are given any aid at all. Perhaps this is all some elaborate trap to lure us to this eagle eyrie so we can be ripped apart by this bird's squawking young, " teased the squire playfully.

"I'll be ready for any trickery," replied the knight as he patted the sword grimly.

Kit was taken aback by his response. She was simply toying with the knight and did not expect such an answer.

When the pair neared the ring of stones at the center of the plateau, the paladin suddenly stopped. Kit saw the vines around the megaliths were black and twisted, and her keen nose also noted the faint odd about them. She shifted her nose slightly to a more bestial one and was surprised to smell a wide range of incongruous smells. A very faint aroma that inexplicably changed from flowers in one moment to rust in another, to even wax after that. Kit was confused to say the least from the evolving scent.

The knight and squire drew their weapons as they waited for an attack but none came.

"I sense something centered left of the stone ring, " said Sir Jose finally . Kit saw a glint of light reflect off his eyes and traced his vision to what he was staring at. The object of his attention was a patch withered grass. When she edged closer to this area, she noticed there was what looked like a circle of arrows with runes and lines scrawled with what appeared to be a dark ink.

"The mark of chaos written in dried blood , " commented Jose. Kit sniffed the substance from a distance and confirmed his suspicions with a nod. "This area is cursed, but not by that abishai. The mark of chaos is typically the rallying symbol for the planes of Limbo, Pandemonium, and often enough the Abyss, " he added.

Kit knew what the Abyss was, the birth place of demons, but knew little about the other two planes. She heard they were the homeworlds of the ancient Slaad and the ever changing Proteans and it was the birth place of insanity. From what Sir Jose had explained earlier, the Infernal Abishai were from a place near the opposite of the Great Wheel from where Limbo was.

"What now? ", asked Kit tentatively. She wasn't nervous, but felt she should be extra cautious, especially in the face of the unknown.

The knight motioned her back and then began erasing the symbol with his blade. Red and purple tendrils grasped out from the rune, but the knight's holy sword glowed brighter and vanquished them. As the symbol was removed Kit noticed some of the dark and twisted vegetation receding.

Jose scanned the area again and noticed another patch similar to the first, which he promptly erased as well. Again , the vines receded and again Jose scanned the area again. Jose spotted a few more of these symbols, and Kit noted some were hidden while others in plain view, they were also scattered in a seemingly random pattern around the plateau.

"Who or what drew this? ", asked Kit.

Jose snorted. "Someone obviously stronger that this druid. Perhaps an evil sorcerer ,or more likely a wizard or cleric ,placed them here. Perhaps its Magda herself, taking revenge for this druids earlier interference. That would explain the Abishai as well , since the lot of them can call all sorts of lower planar creatures to serve them. Those guys love summoning and calling fiends to be their lackeys. "

Kit knew summoning and calling spells were much more difficult than her Master thought. Summoning a monster could only bring a creature to this plane for a minute or two at most. Calling a fiend lasted longer, but was a much more involved and difficult ritual to conjure. Even her former Lord Mogombo could only bind a Chain Devil to his side, and though they were formidable she thought them weaker than the Abashai they had just fought. She was about to correct her master, when she heard a slight displacement of air near them. She instantly sensed someone was teleporting to their position.

"Look out! ", she shouted as she spun and threw a dagger at a shimmering humanoid form. She wasn't sure if whatever was materializing was friend or foe but her instincts screamed danger, and more often or not they were correct.

Her blade was aimed perfectly at the center of a baroque yellow robed humanoid. Arcs of energy appeared before the weapon struck, and it was deflected off course from a direct strike to its chest to a glancing blow into its shoulder. The robed creature grunted in a sharp echoing voice as the blade drew a crimson wound. As her eyes focused on her opponent, Kit would have described it as human, but there was something very odd and off about it. It had pale almost scaly skin, a sunken face , and what appeared to be large plume of gelled hair. Kit thought it resembled one of those children troll dolls she saw at the market and would have thought it comical if it didn't suddenly release a volley of glowing darts of light at her.

Kit flipped and dodged from the bolts, but they turned sharply after missing her and homed in once again on their target. Kit was caught in a perilous position for the split second she was suspended helplessly in the air. She attempted to twist once again, but it was to no avail as the bolts struck her repeatedly in the side.

The squire coughed blood from the wounds the spell inflicted even as she landed hard on her back. She struggled to regain her footing and caught a glimpse of her lord charging this wizard with his blade and shield. Normally a wizard had the advantage over a knight if the range between them was great, but at close range , a skilled warrior could shift and harass the wizard to disrupt any spells they would cast. Even if the wizard kept his cool and tactically retreated away from his harasser, a skilled warrior would either trip him or side step into the range of his prey. She fully expected her lord to bash the yellow robed spell caster in the face with his shield and gut him with his blade, but instead the wizard drew a great silver blade at the last moment and parried Jose's attack .

The clang of metal rang out on the plateau, as the strange wizard warrior and the knight exchanged a flurry of swings and blocks. The wizard , though skilled, seemed to be over matched by Sir Jose, but suddenly it invoked a spell during a riposte and the knight was blasted directly by a great arc of lightning.

Watching her lord thrown back drove Kit to action. She ignored her wounds and scrambled behind one of the great standing stones. The squire figured if it attempted another blast like that , she could at least take cover behind the rocks. She had already thrown one blade at their opponent, but still had three left. While the strange wizard stalked to its staggered foe, Kit expertly threw a blade from each hand at it. One dagger seemed to deflect off the creature's mystical barrier at the last moment while the other somehow evaded its defenses and sank with a meaty thunk into its back. The strange wizard staggered and spun around unleashing another lightning blast at the squire. Kit was ready however, and ducked back behind the standing stone from the bolt .

Visible arcs of electricity danced about her as the blast struck the rock . Kit's hair stood straight, but she was relieved that was all the damage it did. She jumped her cover and charged the wizard with her remaining dagger hoping that her foe was still recovering from his last spell. Kit wasn't a spell caster, but knew only the highest caliber of wizard could quickly cast multiple spells at once.

Her gambit paid off as her she nimbly closed the range between them. She lashed out with her shot curved blade, but broke off her attack when the wizard swung the great silver blade at her in wide deadly arc. Kit rolled away from the longer range strike , narrowly ducking under the wizard's sword. Normally she expected a half second window of opportunity after a two handed swing like the one her opponent delivered, but the wizard recovered from his stroke like a train warrior and was ready to strike again before Kit could lunge at him.

"No fair! ", she cried as she realized this creature was equally skilled in both magic and melee. She considered disarming herself by throwing her last blade, but the wizard swirled his blade in a pattern first. After a brief flash she found herself helplessly picked up by a great unseen force. Kit panicked and thought she would either be crushed or choked, but instead she was hurled backwards into the stone she had recently taken refuge behind.

*Crack*

The squire struck the boulder with great force even as she squirmed to escape from her invisible captor. She was held momentarily against the rock before being released, falling lifeless to the ground. Kit's ribs ached and she found herself having trouble breathing as she attempted to summon the power to rise again. She instinctively shifted her form to a more bestial one and found renewed strength to rise again. She snarled at her opponent in her hybrid fox human form threatening to strike once again, but instead scampered behind the rocks to safety. She doubted a head on attack would work since her last attempt failed so miserably, and hoped to buy some time with her tactic.

As she took refuge , she saw a dark shadow cover her briefly. She glanced upwards and saw the great golden eagle that had transported them earlier diving to where the wizard was. She heard an ear piercing shriek and some garbled arcane invocation before watching a lance of lightning shoot up into the sky.

Kit scampered to the other side of the rock, and saw the great eagle hobble helplessly back from the wizard. Feathers and blood , scattered and splattered around the plateau as the eagle attempted to escape from the warrior mage. Kit saw her foe was momentarily distracted, and thought this was as good as time as any to strike. Her body was wracked in pain but she charged anyways with dagger , tooth , and fang .

"DAROS LUCHA!" roared Sir Jose, as he tackled the preoccupied mage before Kit completed her charge. The armored knight was slightly blackened from the previous electrical attack, but it did not seem to slow him as he tackled the midsection of the mage. Kit saw visible arcs of magical energy appear as Jose neared the mage, it crackled and formed a barrier around him, but the knight's mass, speed and determination were too great to stop . Jose slammed into the robed humanoid like a human balista bolt and the wizard's back seemed to bend than snap at a sickening odd angle. Kit was often embarrassed when her lord resorted to the unarmed techniques of his homeland, but was glad that he used it in this instance.

The wizard's eyes bulged in disbelief at this unexpected attack, even as it quivered and flopped on the ground. It attempted to intone another spell but the great eagle hopped towards it and simply pecked its offending head off its shoulder.

The knight, squire, and eagle then looked at their fallen opponent, half expecting some final contingent enchantment to smite them, but none came. "Who or what the hell was that! "demanded Kit finally even as she clutched her injured side.

"Keeta...ears, " replied Jose simply as he studied the robed enemy.

Jose ignored the body of his decapitated foe and simply picked up its silver blade. He examined it carefully , even holding it up to the sun to get a better look at its carvings. He swung it once to test its weight and slashed the air twice to gauge its balance.

"Githyanki, "he stated while shaking his head.


	14. Chapter 14

"Githyanki? ", asked Kitahria with a shudder. The ancient name evoked fear and panic in the young squire. Even though it had been over a century since their last failed invasion, images of the floating castles of the astral invaders danced in her mind. Despite being born in the realm of the Emerald Throne and growing up in the Mysterious Kingdoms of Vinnraj, the epic tales of how these alien conquerors almost subjugated the world still reached the ears of the were fox.

Kit stared at the slain creature before her, she knew very little of the Githyanki save their name and their flying fortresses. "Are you sure?" she asked while prodding the creature again in hopes of gaining some insight into it. It was clearly humanoid with pale almost white skin with a fleck of tiny reptilian scales on its extremities. It sported small sharp jagged teeth similar to that of those tiny carnivorous fish that were rumored to be able to swarm and devour wayward swimming livestock. It was adorned in large gaudy jewels of questionable value and sported a silly curved hair style, that no amount of regular hair gel could maintain.

Sir Jose nodded solemnly, with a serious look on his face, even as he healed their wounds with a minor healing wand.

"This certainly doesn't look like a world conqueror, "noted Kit. " Is this one of their famous warrior mages? The Goosh or Mish or something?" she asked. She assumed she was correct due to its ability to wield a blade and shoot lightning , but she admitted she knew little of these creature's or magic in general.

"Gish…a generic term for fighter mage, used by people in the know that actually originated from these warped creatures", corrected Sir Jose. The paladin then held out his trophy, the slain Githyanki's glimmering sword. "…and this my dear Keeta is one of their infamous silver blades, a weapon that can sever one's astral cord in the outer planes. "

"An astral..what? ", blinked Kit blankly as she gazed at the sword. It was long weapon, over four feet in length, seemingly made of silver and covered in an unknown script.

Jose did not answer her and simply handed her the weapon to study further. Kit found it remarkably light weight and balanced. As the squire tested it, the knight began to recall what he could of their foe. "Today was the first time I saw a live Githyanki, but my lord Rollo told me many tales of his own battles against them. The Githyanki believe it or not were originally very close to human. They were slaves to an ancient race called Illithids, and labored under them for untold millennium. Eventually they lead a revolt and freed themselves, but they were already warped beyond recognition by their dark masters. They had become a dark race that now raid the multiverse from their astral strongholds that drifted on the edges of the plane of Limbo. Forever collecting tribute and slaves in some warped racial desire to rule and conqueror. They are famous for their cruelty, their legendary fighter mages , and their dragons that they ride out of their adamant fortresses. "

Even though her ears were in their human form, they still perked up at the comment. "Adamant fortress, dragon mounts? " she asked as she set the weapon on one of the standing stones.

Jose shrugged, " A possible connection might exist between the coke that Gregor was hording and of course our old foe Magda. The exact nature of this relationship is beyond me though. Beyond what I told you your guess on them is as good as mine. "

Kit pondered her suggested association between Githyanki, dragons, and adamant ore but was interrupted by the screech of the large eagle. As Jose and herself were discussing their fallen foe, the great bird of prey was hopping around the plateau, pecking and clawing more of the chaotic runes. The squire was about to ask what it was doing when suddenly the circle of rocks began to hum.

Jose stepped back and drew his weapon as the dark vines fully receded. Kit squinted as she saw what looked like a shimmering green mirage in the center of the stones.

The knight stepped forward fearlessly towards at the possible portal with blade in hand, but Kit intercepted him.

"I'll lead, you follow," the knight commanded but the squire shook her head.

"Eh..what? " asked Sir Jose in disbelief as she refused her command.

"Look, I've been getting slapped around the last few times with you and Trent's macho kill first, ask questions later routine. It not only hurts me physically, but it's a stain on my professional pride and confidence, " replied Kit. " Even my old Rakshasa masters were more cautious than you. They at least sent a scout before they made their decision on how to proceed."

The knight shrugged , unconvinced with her argument." It's probably safe anyways. I bet you a hundred gold that this is where that eagle's master is hiding. He's probably been cowering in fear the whole time , after being trapped by Mister dead Githyanki here. Druid's are pretty useless unless they get a jump on you. "

Kit shook her head again at her lord's distrust on druids. "Another reason that I should scout first. If you encounter the druid first, you would most likely start a fight. Kick him in the face or something stupid like that. "

Jose scratched his chin, and then waved her forward. "Alright, we'll do it your way. After you Keeta. I'll be waiting out here I guess…until you are 'done scouting' or whatever you are going to do."

Kit smiled and crept up to the portal. She studied it briefly before determining that it was not trapped.

Before she entered, Sir Jose offered her a bit of advice. "If you get in trouble Keeta…make sure you scream real loud. So I can take comfort knowing that I am right, and you are wrong, "he joked with a chuckle.

Kit gave him a disapproving stare, before leaping through the portal .

* * *

Kit did not know how extra dimensional spaces worked but she had encountered them many times before and knew she didn't trust them. Besides bags of holdings, and minor rope tricks, she had spied her old master Mogombo used them to stash his secret treasures including his treasured 'black' scroll. She had also seen Lady Stille employ them frequently. Most of the time, she spotted Sir Jose and Stille sneaking off into them to engage in their shameless little love affair. She was invited by the Baroness into one of her portals once, and was surprised as it led her into another world. She expected some sort of dark love shack , and was surprised to appear in a peaceful wooded clearing. It was a tranquil wooded place but it wasn't just a different plane, but a small enclosed pocket world . After exploring it for an afternoon, Kit guessed it was about two hundred acres in size, but it apparently it had its own mini eco system and weather system. The young squire was in awe when Stille told her that the world was created through magic, and did not press further for her sanity's sake.

The world that she had entered now was similar to the one Stille had showed her except much smaller in scale. It was a small wooded world with a single path in it. Kit examined the area and found it curious that if she entered the path from the left side, she would appear shortly on the right side. Playfully she attempted to stretch her body to see if she could appear on both sides simultaneously and to her delight she could. She giggled as she saw her legs kick out in front of her , but her amusement was broken when a small pebble struck her in the head.

She rolled into a combat stance and scanned for her attacker , but instead saw Sir Jose peering at her from the other side of the portal. He grimaced and mouthed an angry command silently.

"Stop screwing around…." Was what Kit interpreted and she nodded at him with an impish grin before following his command.

The squire crouched low and began darting from shadow to shadow. The entire area was covered in trees, and it was surprisingly easy for Kit to sneak forward while hiding. After a while the path she was following led to a small grove, or clearing. Unlike the rest of the forest , it was lit by what appeared to be fire flies or perhaps glowing fey of some type. Kit saw a small ring of stones in this grove similar to the one where Sir Jose was waiting. Inside the ring she noticed a large stone table or perhaps a sacrificial altar directly in the middle.

As Kit examined the area, she noticed a strong scent of blood emanating from it. She instinctively drew her curved blades and scanned for the source, and noted that it came from within the inner ring of stones. Kit wondered if it would create another portal into another even smaller world, but stopped her conjecture when she heard a soft pained moan.

The were fox skirted the edge of the grove to locate the source of the sound and the blood, and was surprised to see a slumped green figure on the opposite side of the stone table. As she cautiously approached it, she saw that there was blood on the table, and assumed the person must have fallen off it. She wondered if the person was a victim of a blood offering and escaped at the last moment. That theory seemed plausible, except she saw no sign of binds on the table. After witnessing many bloody rituals performed by her old master, she knew it wasn't a smart idea to sacrifice anyone without tying them up first. You could drug or enchant them into submission, but she was told morbidly by Mogombo it ruined the purity or taste of the sacrifice.

Kit stepped carefully forward and waited for an attack. None came, so she decided she was either still hidden or in no danger. As she told Jose, she had taken many severe beatings recently and had no wish to suffer another defeat. Her belief that she was the equal of Sir Jose in combat had been proven wrong several times already, and she didn't want the rest of her pride to be taken away. As she got closer, she saw that the figure was a woman in a simple green robe and appeared severely injured. She had what appeared to be several leaves and mud pressed against a bleeding wound to her side. Upon closer inspection she was shocked to see it had the same nymph like appearance the Abishai had before it revealed its true form.

Kit wasn't sure if this woman was another disguised infernal, but knew there was one way to find out. She looked briefly around to see if there were any witnesses then leaned in and licked the blood off the edge of the wound. She noted it did not have the taste of sulfur or ash like the Abishai or Spinnagon did , but it did have a foul taste that stung her tongue. She spat the blood out and saw that the woman was still bleeding freely despite her natural bandage. Kit guessed that the leaves were not a perfect covering for the wound, but it should have stopped some of the bleeding. She also noted that though the wound bled slowly there was no signs of dried blood anywhere.

"A cursed injury, " she spat. Kit knew they were the worse type of wound. Typically only certain golems, some lower plane monsters, and rare magical weapons could inflict them. They were injuries that could foiled most magic healing. Only the most skilled healers could remove them . She was told that Jose's ex girfriend, the baroness Stille ,could remove the injury and oddly enough Jose's old friend the duelist Martinez could as well, but the pair were far away at that moment.

Kit saw that the woman was slowly dying and under other circumstances she would have given her a healing potion, or some healing salve to treat her, but she knew such efforts were wasted on this particular injury. She wasn't sure if she should lead Jose here or take the woman out to the plateau. It was sheltered here, but she didn't trust the portal she entered from. What if it collapsed, would she be trapped her like this woman obviously was. If Jose was on the outside at least there was a chance her blundering master could find a way to free her, if they were both stuck inside however that would be a different story. She could well imagine being stuck inside this small world with her master for an indeterminate amount of time, and the constant complaining she would likely have to endure.

The injured woman was slightly taller than Maid, but thankfully she didn't have too much equipment or gear to weigh her down. Kit changed into her hybrid human fox form and lifted her gently in her arms. Kit was afraid she would panic and struggle at being picked up. She didn't though, and simply smiled at the were fox while patting her with a feathery touch on the head. Kit found the feat remarkable since the druid's vision was obscured by long sweat soaked strands of her light brown almost flaxen colored hair. Kit cringed at her touch initially, but found it very soothing and gentle. Since she was part animal herself , she wondered if it was some sort of nature link she heard druids possessed to animals. Before she could study the woman's touch further, Kit began the trek back to the grove's exit.

* * *

Kit expected some sort of snide comment about how useless and traitorous druids were from Sir Jose, but instead he acted decisively and quickly when she saw the squire and her patient. The paladin unrolled his bed roll to rest her on , before peeling back her makeshift leaf bandage at her side. Kit explained the situation she found her in to the knight as he accessed his patient. Though the knight was more skilled in the healing arts than most paladins, Kit knew that he was no match for a dedicated cleric in this endeavor.

The great eagle squawked sorrowfully in the background, but made no attempt to hamper the knight's healing attempt.

Jose examined the wound , and shook his head. " You are correct, it is a cursed wound." Kit saw it was a slash and both the knight and her glanced at the runed silver sword.

Jose nodded and confirmed her fears. " Most Githyanki silver blades have special properties , besides their primary function to cut astral cords. I guess the blade is a greater wounding weapon of some sort. I'm just glad neither one of us was struck by it and suffered this fate."

"Can you help her? I don't know how long she was in there, but it doesn't look like she's going to last much longer," stated Kit as she glanced at the pain look on the woman's face. The squire and the eagle both stared at the paladin in earnest.

" I don't know, " replied the knight. Kit's spirits dropped but Jose added to his statement, " ..but I can certainly try. If that idiot Martinez can heal a cursed wound, I bet I can as well."

Jose ordered Kit to strip the woman of her tattered green robe as he readied his healing supplies. The young Kit was leery at first since it seemed almost scandalous to disrobe another woman , but a no nonsense glare by the knight spurred her to action.

Kit didn't want to move the woman unnecessarily so cut the robe apart where it interfered with the paladin's ministrations. She was taken aback by the beauty of the woman and felt a bit jealous as she gazed on her exposed body. While Maid was considered pretty, the innkeeper had a natural soft rustic look to her that didn't seem to threaten Kit. This woman however had the proportions of a statue that one would fine adorning a noble's mansion. She had lean sculpted muscles, gentle lush curves, and an almost angelic aura that seemed out of place on a simple nature priestess. She also had large pert breasts, which Kit normally hated since her own were embarrassingly small, but they somehow seemed natural on the druid. Kit despaired as she compared herself to the injured beauty and wondered if the woman was part nymph or some other fey as she originally guessed.

Sir Jose however did not seem to notice her appearance, or at least gave no indication of it as he began working on the wound. He ordered Kit to hold her down in case she struggled or thrashed around, but the squire thought it was a hardly needed precaution. The injured woman was too far gone for that she figured.

The paladin channeled his divine energy into his hands; something that Kit had seen him do many times in the past. Instead of merely 'laying his hands' on the wound though, he took a deep breath before plunging them into her injury. Kit blanched at the sight, and turned away. The woman began to convulse, but luckily Kit's feral strength was still holding her down. After a few seconds, the woman's struggles had ceased and the squire feared the worse. She turned towards the knight again and saw him wipe his forehead with the back of his hand. She saw what looked like a dark unnatural clot between his finger, but more importantly she noticed that the wound had finally closed on the druid.

The paladin examined her briefly again before nodding. "Clean the wound, before covering her. She needs rest, " he ordered as he dug out a spare tabard from his pack. "We need her to recover her strength before we ask her about the lair of our foe. "

Kit was still waiting for a snide remark about druids , but none came. She simply nodded and began her task . She didn't know if this woman was a friend or foe, but somehow she felt happy that her lord had saved her. The great golden eagle seemed relieved as well, and soared through the air, repeating a high pitched piping noise, seemingly to herald its master's recovery.


	15. Chapter 15

"Can …you…under…stand…..a….single…..thing…..that…I'm…..saying? ", questioned Kitahria in frustration.

"Save your breath Keeta. She's a druid, I'll be surprised if she can even understand us," scowled Jose.

Kit shot her master a disapproving look. She was about to warn him to stand down again, but conceded at least his weapon was stowed away. Kit wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing, since the druid she was trying to talk to could summon a spell an instant if she chose to resume her hostilities.

The tension in their small camp was high. Kit sighed as she recalled how the situation got out of control.

* * *

Transporting the wounded druid was easy enough, though there was a bit of uncertainty about the weight capacity on the great golden eagle, the bird seemed more than capable of transporting the trio. After they reached the rest of their group, Kit expected the nature priestess in the tattered green robe to make a quick recovery and reveal the information they sought, however it turned out to be much more complicated than that. Jose's healing powers were already stretched to the limit and his standard issue curing wand was near expended as well, but Trent had more than enough healing potions in reserve. The Halfling sergeant slowly poured his elixirs onto the druid's lips and after her awhile she slowly regained her strength.

In Kit's mind, the druid would have showered their group with praises for their bravery and told them the location of their foe, but instead the woman awoke in a near hysteric panic. The druid violently pushed Trent away when she regained consciousness, and to everyone's surprise, the sparse vegetation sprang up from the light snow in a wide area and entangled him as he fell back. Pig Iron was also caught in the ensnaring weeds but the sturdy dwarf bulled his way through to the Halfling and began dragging him away from the patch. Maid was also in the area, but luckily she nimbly danced out of the way to safety.

Kit and Sir Jose were on the opposite side of the grasping grass when it erupted. Greenpaw snarled as the battle began as he awaited his master's order to attack. The young squire drew her blades in confusion while her lord stepped forwards with his shield and trusty blade. Kit thought he would have used the Githyanki silvered greatsword he had recently recovered, but he kept it strapped to his back and used his trusty knight's broadsword instead. Kit saw the knight was prepared to smash the woman with either a pommel strike or a shield bash. The druid on the other hand , crouched on her haunches, similar to a cornered wild animal and was mumbling incantations in response. Kit knew Jose expected her to flank the woman when he attacked, but the grasping vines reminded her too much of the tentacles she loathed. Kit was afraid of them, but steeled herself to conquer her fear when her master attacked. Before the conflict escalated, the great golden eagle gave an ear piercing shriek that gave the wild woman pause.

Kit half expected an avalanche to be triggered on them from the loud screech but the mountain stayed silent. The knight and the druid glared at each other intently save for the light wind that whistled past the rocks, but both stayed their hand. After a few tense moments, the druid eventually waved her hands in a simple fashion and the vines vanished, but she still kept a suspicious eye on the warrior before her. Kit breathed a sigh of relief as the source of her fears vanished back into the ground.

"Boss, put down your weapon… let me talk to her, "offered Kit. The knight was hesitant at first but eventually nodded for her to proceed. He sheathed his blade but the squire noticed he was still in a combat stance, ready to do battle in a moment's notice.

* * *

"Can …you…under…stand…..a….single…..thing…..that…I'm…..saying? ", questioned Kitahria in frustration.

"Save your breath Keeta. She's a druid, I'll be surprised if she can even understand us," scowled Jose.

Kit caught a glimmer of comprehension in the druid's reddish eyes at the paladin's slight. The squire thought the colour unusual, and wondered if it was caused by the cursed wound or if it was the wild woman's natural eye color. Regardless of the source of the coloration Kit saw an opportunity to communicate.

"Let me talk to her alone, I think I can reason with her. I think you're scaring her", pointed out Kit.

Jose shook his head in response but Trent patted the Knight's leg in response. "Kit's got a good point. I've dealt with her before in the past, but never face to face. It wouldn't surprise me if crowds make her go loony in the head. To my knowledge she's a hermit, and hermits have poor people skills, "suggested the Halfling. Kit thought his explanation was poorly worded, and even a bit insulting, but Jose conceded his point and slowly backed away with the rest of the group.

"Be careful Keeta, "warned the knight sternly.

Kit tipped her head at his order as the rest of the group retreated. When they were well away she attempted to establish some sort of rapport with the woman. The druid seemed nervous with her and was ready to flee, but the great golden eagle nudged her roughly towards the squire. Kit tried to make small talk about the weather, confronting her about the Githyanki, and even directly asking her about any secretive tunnels with slag and excess heat being dumped but the woman in the tattered robes gave no vocal reply , save for the occasional hard glance. Even when she spoke in her native fox tongue it drew more curious looks than an actual response.

After a while Kit gave up and returned to the rest of the group.

"She doesn't want to talk. This is useless. ", complained the squire after her patience was exhausted.

"She's a druid. They aren't going to offer us aid so easily," scoffed Sir Jose. "I'm surprised she hasn't resumed her attack, "he added.

Trent stepped forwards as Kit returned," Let me give this a go. Even though she attacked me earlier, I'm sure it was a nervous reflex. She's come to my patrol's aid in the past, and now that she's calmed down, I'm sure she'll provide us with the answers we seek, "explained the Halfling as he approached the druid.

* * *

Trent held out his hands with a defeated shrug as he returned to the group. "No dice. I got a 'thank you' and 'I'm sorry for attacking you earlier', but that's the extent of her answers," sighed the Halfling.

"She can speak?" gasped Kit in surprise.

"We can probably beat the answers out of her," offered the paladin as he dismissed Kit's comment. "Survival of the fittest, that type of stuff. I'm sure a druid can understand that. "

Kit was shocked at her lord's suggestion, but Jose chuckled at her response. "Relax Keeta. I'm joking. "

Maid shook her head. "Okay, let me try to some girl talk with her, before Prince Charming here take's his own ideas seriously."

With that the young innkeeper approached the druid with open hands. Kit wasn't sure if that was a good idea, even though Maid had proven herself more than capable of handling herself in the past. To Kit's surprise the pair started to talk, and eventually retreated behind a rock. Even though her eyes and ears were superior to that of a human's the squire could not make out what they were doing behind the boulder and what exactly they were saying over the slight winds that echoed off the mountain.

* * *

"You….dressed her in one of your cocktail dresses? ", asked Kit in astonishment. The druid was still with her eagle , but now she was awkwardly standing in a tall red flowery dress that seemed slightly tight on the woman . Despite her unusual look, she seemed less hostile, but still suspicious with the group. Even more unusual was that Kit saw her formerly wild hair was done up in a different style, from loose and wild, to braided and coiled.

Maid smiled and rolled her eyes. "Of course silly. You don't think I would let her wear those tattered green rags, let's show some class around here."

"Where did you get that dress?", asked Sir Jose shaking his head in disbelief even as he appraised the druid.

"Oh…I was saving that to wear later for our victory celebrations, but since she's taller than me, out of my dresses and gowns, that one fitted her best, "explained the Innkeeper while patting a slim pack on her side. Kit noted the pack was too small to actually carry a dress , but assumed it must be enchanted.

"You carry multiple dresses and gowns around? ", asked Kit in shock.

"Certainly. Don't you?", replied Maid with equal shock.

Jose shook his head. "Oh never mind . Did she reveal anything useful, so we can be on our way? ", he demanded. Kit saw his eye was casting glances towards the druid as he spoke, no doubt scanning for betrayal she reasoned.

Maid blinked blankly, then rubbed her chin with a sheepish smile. "Err….her name is Kaeda …..umm….I forgot to ask about the other stuff ", she admitted.

The Innkeeper began to turn and go back to the druid, but Pig Iron scampered forward first. Maid started to sprint after the crazy dwarf, but stopped. " I guess, it couldn't hurt if he tried, " she reasoned.

Kit glanced at the crazy dwarf and had her doubts.

"Figures the craziest person in our group would give a go to talk to the mad druid "snorted Sir Jose.

* * *

Kit watched in confusion as Pig Iron scratched, brushed, and to her curiosity seemingly purred towards the druid named Kaeda. What was even more amazing was that the druid was responding positively back. Not only did Kit find the whole concept of the dwarf communicating in 'cat' silly and absurd, but it seemed more ridiculous that this woman could speak back to him. It didn't make a shred of sense to Kit since she was a kitsune, a werefox, and could genuinely speak fox but could not communicate with the druid, but this dwarf which pretended to speak cat was apparently conversing with her freely. She thought an underground loving dwarf that clad himself in iron would be the last person that the nature priestess would bond with, but she conceded she knew little about druids to begin with and unsure about the company they keep.

Eventually Pig Iron escorted the druid named Kaeda back to the group, and began hissing, clawing, and wiggling his nose at them. Kit thought the druid looked scared, exposed, nervous, and awkward while she followed cautiously behind the dwarf in the red flowery dress that Maid had dressed her in.

"Err….Pig Iron says the druid apologizes for the earlier attack, "began Maid as she translated for the dwarf. " She says that she last remembered being injured by the aether walkers and retreated to her sanctuary. She found she could not heal her wounds, and panicked when she discovered they had sealed her in there. She went into a trance to slow the deterioration of her injuries, hoping time could heal her wounds, but they just got worse. "

Maid paused as she listened to the rest of the hand signals and animal motions of the dwarf.

"When Kaeda awoke she initially thought this was an aether walker trick so she lashed out. Again she's sorry, " explained Maid, while translating for the druid.

Kit dropped her jaw ," You are making that up. No way he said all that . I can speak fox and at best I can evoke a few crude nouns and primal emotions. I can't believe Pig Iron can convey so much with his silly cat antics," exclaimed the squire.

Maid was about to defend her translation but Sir Jose held out a single finger before Kit. " Silence Keeta, " he warned before turning back to Maid. " Can Pig Iron tell us the location of our enemy? Is it more Githyanki, or something else? ", asked the knight.

"I can tell you myself " spoke druid in a soft but commanding voice.

Kit and Sir Jose both shifted their gaze from Maid to the druid simultaneously. Though Maid and Trent did mention that she had spoken to them earlier, Kit did not think she would actually talk directly to Jose and herself.

"I'm sorry. I'm not use to ….company, "apologized the druid. " I do wish to help. "

Kit's patience had long dried up. She tried being nice, but she had grown long sick of the charades and the messengers being used to communicate to this woman. She knew her master's tolerance to this stupidity most likely evaporated before her own, and she half expected him to exclaim his anger at this soft spoken woman. Instead of releasing his ire on her, her master simply bowed politely.

"Do not let our presence intimate you lady Kaeda. I understand fully the traumatic experience the wounds you had suffered. Take all the time you need to recover your wits before telling us your tale, or if you wish you can relay this information in private to whomever you feel most comfortable with, " offered the knight graciously.

Kaeda took stock of his statement and nodded towards the knight. Kit noticed her cheeks go red as she stood before Sir Jose. "Thank you ", she replied before retreating back to the edge of the camp with her great golden eagle.

Kit wasn't sure what had just transpired. She shook her head attempting to make sense of the whole affair, while Maid and Trent merely chuckled to themselves. Sir Jose seemed to dismiss the whole affair and acted like nothing had happened. Kit couldn't understand where the urgency that had possessed her lord , or even his hatred for druids he had spouted earlier, had gone.

* * *

Kit listened intently to Kaeda's tale. The tall woman with the light brown, almost blonde braided hair seemed uncomfortable with their company, but Kit thought it was an improvement from the grasping vines she used before.

"As you already know, I am Kaeda of the Dark Mountains. Though your people call this area the Western Freeholds, it has always been referred to as the Dark Mountains by the beasts and spirits of the land. I am one of the many stewards of the land, and it is my responsibility to keep the balance here, " began Kaeda.

"When the dwarves first came to this land, I expected our way of life to be forever changed, but oddly enough they kept their communities small and limited their damage to the land. Even after their supposed colonization of this area, the vast majority of this region is still considered wild untamed wilderness. Most of my brethren were content to stay away from the new settlers, but I kept an eye and occasional lent a hand to wayward travellers, "explained Kaeda. At the mention of wayward travellers, Trent pointed to his forehead and nodded his head in appreciation to her past efforts.

"This balance changed in the last year. Members of my hierophant order slowly disappeared, and rumors of fire breathing scaled ones spread amongst the animals, "continued the druid sadly.

"Magda! ", exclaimed Kit in recognition of the dragons that Kaeda had described.

"Scaled ones? As in plural? ", noted Sir Jose curiously.

Kaeda nodded, " Yes , Red Dragons…and to my knowledge the animals spoke of a great flight of the monsters. I discreetly checked their claims, and I saw at least a dozen of these dragons deep within the mountain range. "

The group fell silent and shifted uncomfortably at her statement. Magda proved to be challenge enough, an entire flock of Magdas would be certain doom.

"As other druids of my order fell, I felt I had little recourse but to seek help from one of the many towns that had taken up residence in the Dark Mountains. When I arrived in Essuria , I despaired at the sight of the great Red Dragon that had laid siege to it. There was only the one creature, but it was ten times bigger than any other red dragon that I had encountered. "

Jose held up his hand. "These other dragons, were they man sized, horse sized , or mammoth sized? ", he asked. Kit knew that dragons aged pretty uniformly. A skilled dragon hunter could determine the creature's age mainly by its weight. She wasn't exactly sure of the science, but she did recall that red dragons are born roughly the size of a human, while smaller dragons like whites , or brass could be as small as house cats. Kit smiled at the thought of owning a small house cat sized dragon and all the amusement she could have with it.

Kaeda glared at him, she already had enough trouble talking to a crowd, the paladin's interruptions were not helping. Instead of saying something snippy though, she simply answered him with a sigh. " They were roughly horse size, although elk or moose sized would be a more accurate statement. "

Jose nodded and thought over her statement.

"I wanted to help the townsfolk, but my magic would be no match for such a colossal beast. I kept a fair distance away from the town, hoping the dragon would eventually leave or to help any survivors if the town was razed. Instead, your group showed up and to everyone's surprise you drove off the dragon. I saw the beast flee, and in the excitement, I sent my own eagle, and summoned more to harry the beast as it retreated ", she explained.

Trent bowed slightly for the aid rendered to them, even though it had been several weeks ago.

"That bit of heroics proved my undoing. It appeared I was not the only one watching the dragon's siege. After I summoned my eagles to harass the great dragon, several pale humanoid creatures stepped out of thin air. They attacked me by surprise, but luckily the beasts of the wild came to my aid. Despite the fierce resistance of my natural allies, these people proved themselves deadly. Their magic and silvered swords overwhelmed my friends, and we were forced to retreat. "

"Stepped out of thin air, sorcery and silver blades? Did these guys have weird baroque or ornate armor? Possibly flecks of scales and sharpen teeth? They sound like Githyanki, "commented Trent. Kit and Jose both stared at the Halfling for his observation. They made no mention of the nature of the guardian they fought , yet Trent seemed to identify them.

"What's a Githyanki?" asked Maid.

"Nasty astral warriors, famous for their planar raids. I had the displeasure of both fighting against and eventually fighting with them in the Great War. Believe it or not , they tried to conqueror this world a century ago. A nasty dangerous time, " noted Trent.

Kit raised an eyebrow and stared at Trent. He looked middle aged or older for a Halfling, much too young to have fought in the Great War , and definitely too young to have lived a century ago. She wondered if the Sergeant used expensive age reduction magic, was lost in time mists like the heroes in old fables, or was simply exaggerating his exploits.

"Ahemm….." coughed Kaeda. "As I was saying , I was soundly defeated by these creatures and flew to my sanctum. I thought my pocket world be safe from them, but I was wrong. They chased me to my ring of stones, and found they could not enter my sanctum. So instead they bound me inside it with powerful wards. I had hope to use the respite to heal my wounds and recover my spells, but they could not be cured. I felt my life drain away slowly in the prison I sealed myself in, so I placed myself in a medative sleep. It could not forestall death, but I hoped someone from my order would find me before I expired. Fortunately for me, that's when I was rescued. "

The great golden eagle began to screech several times. Not loud enough to hurt Kit's ears like before, but loud enough that the young squire questioned the safety of their camp.

"Ah I see.", noted the druid as she nodded at the eagle. "I've been told that my foe, not only assumed my visage but charmed many of my former animal allies into its thralls. My eagle kept its distance and wisely observed their charade. I assume they wished to use my reputation to keep strangers away from my territory. ", nodded Kaeda. Kit noticed the tall young woman shed a tear at the mention of her former allies that the group helped killed.

"Most likely. ", nodded Trent. "If you wish to avenge your ..pets, can you recall anywhere in your travels or territory that had recent slag deposits, or perhaps was sheltering a great fire? We believe that is where our common enemy is hidden. ", said the Halfling.

Kaeda nodded, and then stared into the sky. "Normally I am hesitant to lend strangers such direct aid. It is not the way of my order to interfere with the squabbles of others. Even after the unprovoked attack my friends and I suffered, our way is to retreat into the mountains and watch the fury of our enemy dissipate on the eternal slopes. However, since the Blessed of Arcturus is with you , I feel compelled to help. "

"Blessed of Arcturus? ", asked Kit in confusion. She knew that Arcturus was one of the more primitive nature goddesses, a fierce deity that took the triple aspect of hag, maiden, and bear. She wasn't sure how that term applied to them though.

Kaeda nodded and pointed to Pig Iron. "This strange dwarf assisted my goddess many years ago, and I feel compelled to abandon my ways, and aid your cause." With that statement, she twirled once and erupted into a ball of rapidly expanding claws and feathers. Soon she transformed into a great golden eagle, similar to the one that they had rode earlier. Both eagles then lowered their bodies to the ground, seemingly inviting the group to ride them.

Kit's jaw dropped. "No fair! How come her clothes don't rip apart when she changes shape! ", she complained.


	16. Chapter 16

Kitahria squirmed uncomfortably on the great golden eagle. After Kaeda had introduced herself and transformed herself into a similar animal as her 'pet', the group swiftly filed onto the two large warbirds. Maid, Trent and Pig Iron climbed aboard the slightly smaller shape changed druid. After Sir Jose dismissed Greenpaw to wherever plane he came from, the knight and his squire boarded the larger real eagle.

The two great birds of prey launched into the sky and soared through the mountains. The flight path they took was drastically different than the one that lead to plateau they visited before. This flight took them deeper into the mountain range, an area that was on that particular day shrouded by mists, fog, and clouds.

Maid and Trent waved at Kit as their larger mount flew by, looking confident and sure of their purpose and destination. The young Squire however, did not share their sentiments as she held tight to her lord. There were many questions swirling in her mind.

"So….let me get this straight. Some woman who wakes from a long sleep tells you to follow her, and you risk your entire party on her word?" shouted Kit against the wind.

Sir Jose tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. After a moments of contemplation he nodded. "That sounds about right.", his deep voice sounding over the airstream the engulfed them.

Kit frowned and shook her head. "Why would you trust someone you just met? I don't recalling helping any maiden that crosses your path in the knight's code of conduct. This might be an elaborate trap. Didn't you tell me that story about how you were ambushed by some crazy druid hermit and his killer mountain lion recently? "

Jose shrugged. "Sometimes, you just get a feel for someone. Sometimes you just have a gut feeling that you should trust them," responded the knight. "You know, that's what I felt when I first met you . Even Lady Stille thought you were not to be trusted. "

Kit fumed in frustration. She had already heard this before. "Is this because she has big breasts? Is that it? "she spat.

Jose brushed off the question and concentrated on the eagle's flight.

Kit shot a withering gaze at her master. She hoped to stare him down or something to that effect, but after a while realized it had no effect on the stone faced man. Frustrated, she attempted another approach to ease her curiosity.

"So Githyanki fly red dragons, and Magda is a red dragon. If Gregor works for the Githyanki, and so does Magda, why was Magda attacking the town? Is there some power struggle of some sort? Or does Gregor work for someone else? An enemy of those astral warrior guys?" shouted Kit over the wind.

Jose considered her questions and paused. "I'm actually not sure. I don't know much about the Githyanki, but I do know dragons. Red Dragons serves no one but themselves. Even if the Githyanki can tame a few to ride, a larger a dragon gets the more unpredictable and wild it becomes. A dragon of Magda's size would serve no mistress except herself. For all we know , you could be correct in your assumption of a power struggle. "

Kit nodded a little more satisfied.

"So what's this Blessed of Arcturus stuff Miss Kaeda was spouting earlier? I can't believe, whatever that term actually means, it refers to Pig Iron. "inquired Kit further, once again yelling to make herself heard.

"I only know myths and legends taught by Sir Rollo. From my brief theological studies, I know Arcturus is a goddess of nature; one of the more bestial and primal ones if I recall. The goddess has a split personality and often fights amongst herself if you can believe that. Roughly a century ago several of the Avatars of the goddess were slain. The last remaining avatar was captured and corrupted by some ancient evil that dwelt under the city of Lower Lueders. The great champion, Zax of the Husky, slew the ancient evil, and supposedly was given the honorific of Blessed of Arcturus. I've talked to Maid, and she mentioned that she first met Pig Iron in Lower Lueders. Dwarves are quite long lived, for centuries in most cases unless they die from violence. Perhaps our stout cat crazy friend, aided the great Zax and was also given that blessing." , replied Jose nostalgically.

Kit chuckled slightly at his answer. It seemed too silly to be true. "Speaking of our cat crazy friend, what's up with Pig Iron anyways? Is he just nuts, or is there something else going on with him? Does he possess magical cat powers or maybe he is some sort of lion polymorphed into a short hairy humanoid form? "

"I'm pretty sure he's nuts, "noted the Knight confidently.

Kit agreed with his assessment.

* * *

The eagles and their passengers landed slightly above the tree lines. Almost as soon as they landed, the druid Kaeda reverted back to her human form. Kit saw Sir Jose suppress a smile at the druid, and grew a bit jealous. Both at her master's attention towards the lovely woman dressed in the tight flowery dress, and the fact that the woman can freely change shape into her animal form without ripping or falling out of her clothing.

"This area has garnered much attention from my order before my imprisonment, "stated Kaeda as she pointed to a clearing on the misty mountain.

Kit's keen eyes stared at the shrouded clearing. It was hard to make out anything through the haze, but she could see a river of metal refuse surrounded by walls of melted ice and snow. As her eyes focused clearer, she saw the crack in the mountain where the river of slag originated from.

"I don't know if that is the lair of our foe, but this is the river of slag you seek," noted Kaeda.

"So this is the end product of all that coke that Gregor was transporting. I guess this is the place, " said Kit.

"This is their dumping grounds. I suspect the main entrance is elsewhere, but this does open an opportunity for a surprise attack," noted Sir Jose.

"Shall we scout it out then? We haven't gotten into a scrap for almost..I dunno...an entire day now. I know you boys are itching for a fight," teased Maid.

Trent laughed out loud. Kit was concerned about the noise, but oddly the small Halfling's voice did not carry far. "Indeed, the five of us shall rid ourselves of this blight once and for all! " he declared confidently. Maid nodded and drew her silvery short sword. Pig Iron held his golden bastard sword in a combat stance. Kit readied her kukris and swirled them with a showman's flourish. Sir Jose raised his blade and crossed it against his shield. Even Trent held his crossbow at attention; the group was ready to face their mysterious foe at last.

"Six . I wish to accompany you as well, "interrupted Kaeda.

Kit had hope that after the flight the druid would go back to tending her eagles or maybe wait dutifully for them to return like an obedient carriage driver. She did not expect her to volunteer any form of combat assistance . She wasn't sure why she resented her but there was something about the woman she didn't trust. Perhaps it was her lord's cautionary tales, but it was most likely jealousy. Even with her natural soothing rapport she had with Kit's animal nature, she could not bring herself to fully trust the druid.

Before Kit could respond with something snippy, surprisingly Sir Jose voice his objections. "We thank you for your guidance to this area and for your offer of more aid Lady Kaeda, but we have this well in hand . We cannot ask any more of you." Kit blinked in surprise. He thought for sure Sir Jose would welcome the woman's company. Even when he courted the Baroness Stille, he seemed to enjoy having her accompany him on his many quests and adventures.

"Nonsense. She's a druid and we don't have a true healer of any sort. Your divine skills are certainly better than most Jose, but they are no match for a druid, " stated Trent.

"I agree. Also, I might add that this is Kaeda's home. She has a right to rise to its defense as much as anyone. She has already shown she has considerable skills, " added Maid in agreement.

Pig Iron clawed furiously into the air and chased an imaginary tail twice before coming to a dizzying stop.

Kit wanted to voice her support of Jose's initial but the knight relented and sighed, "Very well. The six of us shall now face our foes. May Nirrodin see us smite our enemies."

* * *

After Maid scouted out the slag vent, the Innkeeper waved the group forwards to follow. Kit saw it was a long natural tunnel, with scrape marks on the uneven ground; signs that the slag was pushed or shoveled out physically. Kit guessed that made sense, else the tunnel would soon be choked and plugged with the stuff. As they proceeded further in ,she half expected them to be all incinerated by a river of this molten slag, but they luckily reached a large furnace area deep within the mountain.

"There was a ward here, but I disarmed it," whispered the Innkeeper proudly. Kit knew that Maid wasn't a magician or a priest, and wondered how someone with no magical powers could disarm a magical trap. She didn't dwell on it too long, since she knew that two of her old acquaintances, Jimmy and Martinez, were capable of doing it as well.

Maid was first to enter the seemingly abandoned chamber and Kit nimbly followed next. The young squire saw vast forges that lay dormant in the room. Unlike the tunnel this chamber was carved from the stone. Kit guessed that the architects of this place must have designed it around the natural caverns and fissures of the area to save manpower and work. Barrel sized brick shaped ingots made of some form of dark metal were piled neatly in one corner while vast carts of unprocessed ore were in another; between them was a tall fifteen foot tall door. Kit noted that the metal smelled funny, and wondered if it was due to the forging process or if it was something more alien.

Pig Iron approached one of the forges and sniffed at it. He then prowled to the pile of ingots and studied them carefully. He first touched one, then attempted to bite it, and even licked it. Afterwards he reared back hopping scratching, and pouncing furiously at some invisible foe. Maid looked puzzled in her attempts to interpret the dwarf but Kaeda spoke first. "The blessed of Arcturus says that these forges are of high quality. They are neither of goblin or dwarven manufacture though. The metal is adamant, but not the refined weapon grade type you would make weapons, armor or even golems out of. The type craftsmen use to make siege doors or some other large construction with. "

Sir Jose nodded, " I see. So now we know why they are using all that coke. I don't know much about smithing, but I do know when a forge dies, depending on its size, it takes a long time to fire it up again. The enemy must have already used the stuff Gregor had shipped them , if they would allow their forges to be still. "

Trent rubbed his bristly chin. Kit noticed that the normally clean shaven Halfling had started to look a bit rough after their long trek. She guessed that his grooming kit, or whatever Trent used to shave , was incinerated along with his dog . " This sheds more light on our situation. They will strike at Essuria again to get that coke. Depending on what they need these ingots for, we might be able to negotiate peace with them if their ends are benign, " noted the Halfling.

Sir Jose shook his head, " I doubt that is the case. Remember Gregor was doing exactly what you described before we exposed his plan. I am sure whatever they are up to, will lead to ruin if we don't stop them."

Kit nodded in agreement, partially to support her master, but also because she had no plans to make peace with the enemy. She had witnessed too much suffering caused either directly or indirectly by them. From the goblin raids on unaffiliated caravans, to the siege of Essuria, Kit knew they were up to no good. Even the unprovoked attack on Kaeda showed the enemies true colors. Even though Kit did not fully trust the nature priestess, she would rather side with a big breasted bimbo druid than whatever evil mastermind was pulling the strings here. Be it the Githyanki, some Bugbear overlord, or perhaps some further unseen puppet master.

As they discussed the matter, the large fifteen foot tall doors between the ore and the ingots began to move. They did not creak, but a loud mechanical hissing sound echoed through the room. Kit ,Maid and Trent easily hid themselves in the shadows and behind cover. Kit suspected it would be for naught though, as the rest of her group were not considered stealthy by any means. She glanced back and saw Sir Jose and Pig Iron comically trying to conceal themselves behind a stack of ingots. She could see the top of her lord's helmet sticking out, and saw Pig Iron's large dwarven gut protruding to the side. She did not spy the druid at first, but after a few seconds spotted her on the ground behind one of the ore carts, her feet plainly showing underneath by the wheels.

Kit gripped her weapon and prepared for a fight.

When the doors fully opened a curious sight walked in. Two small humanoids with large oversized spectacles, wearing yellow tool studded work aprons and sporting clip boards walked directly to the forge, oblivious of the poor 'hiding' skills of some of the group. Several tall goblins followed, they were shorter and less hairy then bugbears, and wore much heavier armor than she previously had encountered from their race. Kit also noticed immediately that the small ones were not goblins, and after noticing their large noses , she realized they were gnomes.

Kit had not met many gnomes in Grom, since the Empire had been at war with them for several decades, but she did meet a few on her earlier travels in the Empire of Thyatis. To her knowledge they were small tool loving humanoids, similar to dwarves. They were both short and stocky, lived underground, like to mine, and sported elaborate facial hair. In fact there were so many similarities between gnomes and dwarves, Kit thought them the same race. She knew both races would be insulted and fiercely deny it, but thought gnomes and dwarves were parallel to Grommers and Vikings. In her eyes, a small skinny dwarf was no different to a large burly gnome.

As Kit hypothesized about the small humanoids, her attention was drawn back to them as they began to chatter amongst themselves.

They initially spoke in a strange language that she guessed was gnomish, but then they reverted to the common tongue when addressing the goblins.

"The adamant production has come to a halt! Even if we get the coke to start the forges up again, it will take four or five days to bring them back up to temperature! Those Gith bastards will flay us all if we don't meet our quotas, "yelled one of the gnomes.

One of the tall armored goblins glared down at the small bossy creature in front of him. Kit thought for sure he would kick it or something, but instead appeared subservient to the little creature. "We will tear Essuria down with our next attack. As soon as we regroup and resupply we will march on the town once again, "it declared with a scowl.

The other gnome shook its head and laughed in an almost whimsical manner. "Oh will you now? Make sure Magda doesn't come to their aid like last time," he sneered sarcastically. "I mean how stupid are you people. It was obviously an illusion or some sort of mundane deception. Like some oversized red dragon is going to take the human's side. "

The two tall goblins shifted uncomfortably at the gnome's insults. Kit could tell they wanted nothing more than to step on them , or hack them to little pieces with their weapons. Kit knew gnomes were respected for their magic and mechanical inventions, and not their martial prowess, but saw no signs of obvious magic use from either gnome. No wands, pointy hats, skull caps, star swirled robes or other similar paraphernalia decorated the two.

"Can we not use the dragon mounts to heat the forges, or perhaps get the wizard to summon a fire elemental ? ", suggested one of the tall goblins. The two gnomes stopped and glared at it with dark looks. The other tall goblin sensed its comrade's mistake and cautiously took a step away from him.

The first gnome took out what appeared to be a large wrench from his apron and swung it at the goblins knee cap. The goblin had armored scaled leggings but the blow still brought it crashing to the ground. The second gnome then grabbed the fallen goblin by the ear and began shouting.

"Listen ! Haven't you been paying attention ! It takes almost a week to bring the forges to an even temperature. Are you going to get a red dragon to fire up the forge nonstop for a week? It'll go berserk and rip the place up , unless you want to volunteer to ask it? ", yelled the angry little taskmaster.

"Mercy master, mercy!" pleaded the goblin . Kit saw even from her position that the goblins were not charmed , and wonder how these gnomes could coerce the two larger humanoids so easily.

The first gnome then stopped and pointed a finger into the air. "Buckles….I just had a great idea. What if….what if we ask Gregor to bind an elemental to sit in the forge. It could generate enough heat just by sitting there. "

The second gnome dropped the goblin he was terrorizing and shrugged. " That might work Peanut. I'm not sure if he can maintain a summons for that long or if he can even call forth a big enough elemental for our purposes. I think we're better off securing the coke from Gregor's warehouses. "

"I suppose you're right. I'm sure he would have already done it if he could. All our heads are literally on the line if we don't get this ore refined," sighed the first gnome name Peanut. " Zazoz has one of the head lopping silver blades you know, " he added with a shudder.

"A vorpal blade? Really? Damn…that's high end stuff there. I guess that's why they're the bosses ," nodded the gnome named Buckles. "Maybe we should send some of the constructs in during the next attack. It'll be costly, but I don't feel like losing my head. "

Peanut nodded in agreement. " Yeah that's a good idea. I came up here to these blasted goblin infested mountains to work as a security contractor, not to have my head cut off. We'll send some of the clockworks in on the next assault, secure the coke, fire the forges, process the ore….and then profit! " he laughed.

Buckles snorted in approval. " So what do you think they need all these ingots for anyways. You can't build anything except maybe a road or perhaps a wall. Seems kind of frivolous, "he asked.

Peanut nodded again . As the two gnomes began their speculation, the goblin that was pulled to the ground caught sight of something beneath one of the mining carts. "Intruder!" it shouted. Kit glanced at the cart and saw it was the big breasted druid's fault.

She thought Pig Iron or Sir Jose would be spotted first, but felt some small satisfaction that it was Kaeda instead. Regardless of who was at fault, Kit readied her blades and hopped out to face her foes.

"Slay them! Slay them all! ", shouted a deep booming voice.

Instead of facing two tall goblins and two runty gnomes, two towering stocky giants nearly twelve feet tall were before her. Kit was shocked as she noticed their yellow aprons and tool belts. The young squire only lost sight of them for a few seconds, but somehow they grew to monstrous proportions in that time. The one named Buckles swung a large hammer with a curious hook at the end of its haft towards the startled Kit. She recovered her senses just in time and took cover behind a stack of ingots. The hammer smashed the ingots and sent the heavy slabs of metal scattering about. One battered Kit and its heavy mass sent her sprawling and bruised to the ground. Peanut stepped forwards and prepared to finish her off with an overhead swing with his similar weapon's hook, but a crossbow bolt struck him in the arm, foiling his blow. Kit limped painfully to her feet as the weapon just missed her and scrambled out of the towering gnome's range, while holding her injured side.

"Spriggans! ", shouted Trent as Sir Jose lead the charge against the giant gnomes.


	17. Chapter 17

From a young age, Kitahria was trained to hunt demons and giants. The Rakshasa lord Mogombo was a very pragmatic individual and knew who his real enemies were. He had no fear of crusaders or priests, but kept a wary eye on abyssal rivals and of course his arch enemy the Ivory lady, the magical giantess of Vinnraj. Kit was one of his many tools that he kept in reserve to protect himself against such threats, and for the most part she served her task well. Even if she didn't know all their names, she knew their habits, their weak points and even their quirks , and exploited them all to slay her lord's foes. Even when his lair was invaded by the feared Ivory Lady, Kit fought her to a standstill, only the duelist Martinez and the psychic warrior Raoul tipped the battle to her enemies favor.

While Kit was confident in her ability to battle and identify giants, she was fairly confused at the creatures before her. They were about ten to twelve feet tall, roughly the size of a hill giant. They were quite stocky and broad of shoulder, similar to a fire giant but not as muscular. They had long beards and pale skin like a frost giant, but their facial hair was carefully groomed. Lastly they had a comical button nose, and rosy cheeks, topped with a pointed hat, that looked more at home on a garden ornament than a giant. Kit wasn't sure what they were. They certainly looked like giants, but they moved differently. Instead of stomping and charging in direct lines, they almost pranced and turned in an oddly whimsical manner.

Before Kit could contemplate more on the creature's Sir Jose had termed 'Spriggan' , the one named Peanut smashed its strange hammer-hook weapon at her.

Kit's attention immediately flashed back into her surroundings and timed an easy hop backwards to avoid the blow. To her dismay, Peanut spun his weapon and switched to the hook portion in the last moment. The squire had planned to jump away to avoid the hammer smash and then seize the small window of opportunity from the heavy swing to lunge forward at the Spriggan in a counter attack. Instead the hook caught her by surprise and Peanut preformed a skillfully executed leg sweep. Kit was unprepared by the trip attack, and she ended up falling hard on her back by the Spriggan's superior strength and leverage from its weapon. Even worse was that Peanut followed his sweep by switching to the heavy hammer head of his weapon, and smashed it towards the squire.

Kit twisted and rolled and summoned all of her feral strength and desperation to scramble and avoid the hammer strike. The weapon crashed into the hard floor a mere inches where she smacked into the ground, and she took the opportunity to flip back to her feet. The towering Spriggan was ready for her recovery though, and it kicked its oddly cute pointed shoes into the squire's slender waist. Kit braced for the pain, but instead saw the creature named Peanut staggering backwards.

"DAROS LUCHA!" shouted Sir Jose as he collided into the Spriggan's side with his shield. Though Peanut was roughly eight times larger than the knight, Jose's strength and speed caught it off guard and sent it staggering, thus foiling its blow. Kit saw the opportunity that had evaded her earlier, and she rushed the Spriggan with her curved blades before it could recover. The squire's weapons were woefully small compared to the large humanoid she was fighting, but she aimed her blades expertly at the areas she perceived as weak points in a flurry of strikes. Joints in its armor, tendons, arteries, and she even managed to scamper up its leg and flash a blade at one of its eye. She failed to carve an eyeball, but she did cut it deeply on the brow, causing the blood to temporarily blind the creature.

Peanut roared in pain, and swung its hook hammer wildly. Jose easily blocked the weapon with his shield, and Kit proudly noted he expertly deflected the force of the blow before stepping into his foe's range and hacking it in the side. The Spriggan fell back and Kit pounced on it as the knight readied his next attack, but strangely her foe had vanished.

"Retreat! ", squeaked Peanut in his much more comical gnomish form as he scurried out the slightly ajar fifteen foot doors . Despite his reduced size he moved much faster than Kit would have believed. Kit considered chasing him, but hesitated as she recalled gnomes were master trap smiths. She did not want to be chastised by Sir Jose for foolishly walking into a gnomish trick or ambush.

Kit expected an orderly withdrawal of some sort by the rest of her enemies, but glanced to see there was none remaining. Pig Iron and Maid stood over the decapitated forms of the two tall armored goblins, while the other Spriggan was curiously caught in what looked like a large ball of liquid. Kit saw that the druid Kaeda was apparently manipulating this prison, and the giant sized Spriggan called Buckles was helplessly trapped within. The squire scanned for Trent and saw no signs of him. She initially panicked at first, fearing for the small but courageous Sergeant's life but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him atop one of the forges with his crossbow covering the door.

Sir Jose waved at Pig Iron and Maid and signaled them to surround the watery prison. Kit wasn't sure if the dwarf could understand him, but he did as he was told. Maid also took a flanking position next to Kit, who was already in place before he signaled. With another signal, Kaeda released the prison, which sent the Spriggan crashing onto the floor sputtering and gasping for air.

Kit was ready to pummel the creature senseless, but instead it reverted to its gnome size.

"Mercy…please…mercy…." pleaded Buckles as he continued to cough and spit the water from his lungs.

Trent hopped off the forge, and locked the Spriggan's wrists with manacles. Kit saw some runes on them and they they were in a script that reminded her of the ones that the demon hunter Martinez employed. She still wasn't sure if they could hold their prisoner if he decided to grow once again, so she kicked him once in the gut for good measure to dissuade him from such attempts.

"KEETA! ", barked Jose as he put a firm hand on her shoulders.

Kit rolled her eyes and relented from further kicks. She recalled that Sir Jose did not approve of torturing prisoners. His silly paladin code was rearing its stupid head once again. Technically this wasn't torture she rationalized; this was just plain and simple intimidation to set the proper tone for questioning.

"Please take some of these berries if you are hurt ", offered Kaeda. Kit sensed she was not use to fighting in a group and still wasn't sure of her role. She was trying to be helpful, which was a good sign, and it lessened some of the jealousy Kit bore towards her.

Pig Iron sniffed them cautiously, while Maid eagerly scooped some and put it in her pocket. "Thank you ! ", exclaimed the Innkeeper in a sweet voice.

"The one that ran will bring friends. I suggest we barricade the door and make a stand here, or smash these forges and fall back, "noted Trent as he shoveled a handful of berries into his mouth. Kit remembered the Halfling discussing using the coke in Essuria as a bargaining chip and such a plan would spoil that option permanently. Even after the berries curative magic worked itself on the halfling, she still saw cut marks, and bruises on him and guessed the recent battle gave him new insight on their foe.

As on cue, a series of brassy echoes could be heard in the distance which Kit guessed was Peanut striking a gong of some sort. Her acute ears detected something else in the sound though, something that had an arcane quality to it.

Sir Jose stood up and assumed a heroic stance that one would normally find on a picture depicting some great epic hero . "Pig Iron, go block the door. Trent and Maid go cover him. Keeta watch the prisoner. Kaeda and I will smash the forges, " he declared in a clear commanding voice. Though he warned her not to strike the prisoner earlier, Kit knew Jose trusted her fully. Kit's heart almost skipped as she nodded at her lord's commands, she was so proud of him when he talked in such a valiant manner.

Kit watched as Trent and Maid rushed to the door. Instead of jamming it shut right away, they fired several volleys of bolts and arrows down the corridor, before Pig Iron gathered enough debris to block the door effectively.

"Hobgoblins, scores of them! "warned the Halfling as he assisted the dwarf in shutting the door shut.

"I see Gregor! He looks really angry! " noted Maid as she fired a few more arrows before the door slammed shut.

Jose nodded as he began battering and wrecking the forges. Though they were made of iron the knight managed to twist bars, hack bellows, and dent pipes wherever he could. Kit noted that Kaeda was having more success . The druid in the red flowery dress, was far weaker than Jose physically, but with a simple spell she transmuted the rock underneath a corner of the forge into soft clay. With a groan, the weight of the metal device caused it to shift and buckle to its side. Another simple spell warped one of the support beams of the chamber they were in . Though it creaked it did not collapse, but Kit knew it wouldn't take much to bring that portion of the roof down at that point.

"Indirect application of force, works well in this instance ", Kaeda noted at her success.

"Good work milady, " complimented Jose to the druid with a smile. Kit almost gagged at his fawning, and her distrust of her swiftly returned.

"Who are you people? " asked Buckles fearfully breaking Kit's dagger stare at the druid.

Kit considered slapping the gnome into silence, but she did not want to betray her master's trust . She thought about simply shouting him into silence, but she let pride get the best of her.

"We're the Order of the Husky , and you will soon feel the wrath of our righteous crusade! " she boasted. Her statement of course was an exaggeration. Only Sir Jose was an actual Knight of the Husky. To the best of her knowledge, Trent belonged to some branch of the Leeha military and Kaeda was some lord stealing big breasted hermit. Maid was just a mysterious talented Innkeeper, while she was pretty sure Pig Iron was the muscle of some organized crime cartel. She wasn't sure of her own exact standing with the Order, but she presumed she was just an affiliated member at best.

Buckles looked at her with disbelief. "Husky…isn't that some type of northern dog? A really fluffy and hairy breed correct? You guys are the knights of the fluffy dog? I got beat by some lame group of knights that are named after a hairy pet? ", he gasped.

Kit fumed. She wasn't sure if the little gnome was actually ashamed by his defeat, or just making fun of her. She glanced at Sir Jose and saw he was busy attempting to roll one of the buckled furnaces to further damage it, and wondered if she could sneak in a slap. Before she could decide, she heard the distinct sucking noise as the air near them was being displaced. She recalled immediately the enemy she faced on the plateau and grabbed the bound gnome before her foe materialized.

"Whaa? ", yelped Buckles as a massive red claw struck where he was sitting a split second ago.

Kit gasped in surprise. She had expected another lone Githyanki warrior mage to step out of the aether, but instead she was confronted by a pair of the exotic pale skinned war wizards on the back of a fearsome red dragon.

The dragon's presence immediately dominated the room. All attention focused on it as it roared a challenge to the invading adventurers. Kit noticed immediately that it was much smaller than the one that Jose drove off of Essuria, but it was still a fearsome sight. It looked much younger, leaner, and hungrier, and more importantly it was a mere five feet from the surprised squire and her prisoner.

The dragon lashed out at her like a serpent . Kit hopped back, and avoided its teeth, but was still battered by its plated head. She and her captive were sent flying to the opposite end of the chamber, striking the sides of one the mining carts, seemingly head first.

Kit's enchanted skin was of little help, but her thick reddish hair cushioned some of the blow. Her vision was briefly a haze of white pain that briefly blinked into darkness, but the squire forced herself to get back to her feet.

She was still in a daze, but she saw the two Githyanki warrior mages, firing magical bolts at their comrades. Trent and Maid were returning fire with crossbow and bow, but their shots seemed to be harmlessly deflected by some invisible shield. Kaeda was sprawled on the ground. Kit was not sure if she was the victim of the mages or the dragon. Pig Iron and Sir Jose seemed to have better luck against the dragon, though it was hard to tell. The dwarf was bleeding profusely but continued to hack away at the beast with his golden bastard sword, while the knight's arm shield arm seemed to hang limp at his side. The dragon did not seem to fare any better, as deep flesh wounds marred its entire body. Curiously the battle seemed remarkably quiet to the dazed squire, despite the fury shown on both sides.

As Kit's head cleared, a broken rending noise could be heard at the iron door sealing the room. She noted that the ruckus seemed to be going on and off . Kit expected the door to be battered open, but instead what appeared to be a dark blade had hewed a small hole through it. Kit panicked as the blade erupted from the door again, widening the hole. A demonic humanoid head could be seen on the other side smiling, shouting something that the squire found hard to understand. She didn't get a good view at it, but thought it might have been a cambion or a half fiend of some sort.

She wasn't sure if her ears were still ringing, or perhaps it was the chaotic din of battle, but all she could make out from the ebony skinned warrior was "….Jose….duel…. at last. "

Kit wasn't sure what that meant, but she knew they were in trouble.

"Fall….. ", shouted Trent before going silent. Kit cursed as she then realized her eardrums were likely damaged, hopefully only temporally by the dragon's blow.

Kit grabbed her quivering gnome captive, and wondered if it was fear or the manacles that prevented him from growing again and attempting to escape. She limped to the slag chute but the bloodied dragon leaped before it and blocked her path. Pig Iron rushed the monster once more, but was struck by both magical bolts and raked by the dragon's claws. Even the famous dwarven constitution and resilience was no match for such punishment, and the stout warrior finally fell to the ground.

Kit had viewed the dwarf more as a curiosity rather than a comrade, but watching him fall stirred something primal in her. She threw her captive under a mining cart for safe keeping, and readied her blades.

Before she could react however, Sir Jose stepped before the dragon . Even though his shield arm hung limp at his side, the knight stood resolute before the beast with his sword pointed at the monster. The Githyanki mages did not seemed impressed by his defiant stance though, and rained another round of destructive spells at him. Kit gasped as the paladin was pelted by glowing missiles and bathed in a bolt of lightning, but the knight did not falter.

A split second later, a massive green blur appeared from thin air , similar to how the dragon and Githyanki and their mount entered the room. The blur immediately crashed into the dragon, with its massive jaws going for the monster's long slender neck. Kit silently cheered as she recognized Sir Jose's mount Greenpaw had been resummoned by the knight. The dragon was up for the challenge though and wrestled the horse size husky like locked titans.

Kit saw that while the dragon held its own against Jose's mystical mount, the pale warrior mage's on its back fared much more poorly. The pair was briefly crushed as the husky and dragon rolled about on the hard ground. One mage's spine was contorted painfully and he was curled into a quivering fetal position, while the other was battered and bruised and struggled to rise.

Trent immediately kicked the rising Githyanki in the face, and fired his crossbow at point blank range into the stunned humanoid's skull. A brief shower of blue sparks intervened between his shot, but it wasn't enough to save the alien warrior mage from getting a crossbow bolt between its eyes. Kit on the other hand plunged one of her blades into the other quivering wizard and it spasmed briefly before it fell still. She was fairly certain it was already out of the fight, but she needed an outlet for her rage at being possibly deafened.

The battle seemed to turn back to their side, but Trent continued to shout . " Fall…..Fa...B..cK ", was all Kit could make out, but she assumed he was yelling falling back. She watched Sir Jose throw the druid over his shoulders and drag the dwarf while shout something she couldn't understand to the rest of the group. She wasn't about to inquire further especially after seeing Kaeda and Pig Iron on the ground while the door holding back the tide of goblins was being hacked to bits as he spoke. She turned to retrieve Buckles from underneath a mining cart, when suddenly the room began to shake.

She glanced and saw that Greenpaw and the dragon had crashed into one of the druid warped support pillars while they struggled. Kit saw Greenpaw vanish into thin air, even as massive chunks of the roof began caving in. One piece of debris struck the dragon , which unleashed a terrifying shriek that shook her to the core, that somehow even her damaged ears could hear. Kit fell to her knees and clasped her ears futiely, even as she felt a massive weight strike her.

"I don't want to die alone. ", was her last terrified thought before all went black.


	18. Chapter 18

"KEETA!" shouted Jose as he watched the roof collapse on his squire.

The relatively small red dragon and his mystic war dog, Greenpaw, were locked in a fierce struggle, and during their brawl, they had smashed into one of the room's support pillars. That in itself would not have presented much of a problem, but the mysterious druid Kaeda had already warped it with a spell. Jose had dispelled his ally in time before the roof collapsed, but Kit took the full brunt of the collapse.

Jose dropped the druid and the dwarf he was carrying and turned towards the wall of rubble. His vision was blurred in a haze of red as he began tossing the rocks burying his squire. The rocks and debris were still crumbling around him, but the knight was undaunted from his task.

"Jose! We have to regroup and get out of here!" yelled Trent as he grabbed the knight's belt and futilely attempted to drag him back.

The knight paid him no heed. His attention was singularly focused on the rubble burying his squire. He tossed a few more rocks from his path, but was soon faced with a boulder he could not move. He tried grasping the rock and shifting it slowly , but it was too firmly lodged in place. The knight struggled with it in vain , and finally realized it was hopeless.

"There are no enemies at the exit !" yelled Maid from down the slag tube.

Jose glanced and could only see her silhouette. Even with his limited human vision he noted her arm hanging awkwardly at her side. The knight then looked at the bloodied mess that was Pig Iron. The dwarf was covered in gashes and blood but for some reason he still had a smile on his face. Kaeda on the other hand was curled weakly at his feet. Jose noted grimly the pained expression on her face was the same one she wore when Kit dragged her out of the circle of stones.

Jose didn't want her to die this way. He didn't want her here in the first place. It just didn't seem right for a woman so beautiful to die in such an abysmal place. He didn't trust druids, but Kaeda seemed different.

As Jose contemplated the woman at his feet, a sharp pain to the face snapped him back to the current situation. The knight blinked and saw that he was staring at Trent, who was precariously balanced standing on a rock.

"Listen Jose! Kit might be dead, or she might be alive. Regardless of her condition, we can't help her right now. We have to fall back, regroup, rethink our position ! Gregor and his pet demon, along with dozens of hobgoblins were outside that room. We also don't know if there are anymore of those Githyanki bastards hiding in the astral plane ready to jump in again! ", shouted the Halfling.

Jose considered his words, and reluctantly nodded. He glanced down at the large rock blocking his path one last time and wished he was stronger.

As the knight turned away , inexplicably the boulder began to vibrate. Trent aimed his crossbow at it instinctively but it exploded into several shards.

A battered and dusty reptilian head lunged out from the debris and gored the surprised Halfling with its horn, sending him flying down the chute. Jose sensed what was about to come next and lunged at the dragon's throat. With all his might he grabbed the beast's jaw and angled it to the roof, even as a torrent of flame was unleashed by the monster.

The roof was engulfed in flames. The fires licked and burned the knight's hands and head, but thankfully his comrades sprawled unconscious on the ground were spared the brunt of the draconic inferno.

The dragon shook its head vigorously and broke free from Jose's grip. It snapped at the knight immediately, but it was met by a swift left jab from Jose. He had lost his blade in the chaos when the rocks fell down and he was forced to grab his companions, so he channeled his divine energy through his fists. The blow from his divinely charged fist was surprisingly stong and caused the dragon to reel to the side, almost bouncing its head off the wall. Another powerful right hook staggered the beast and dazed it slightly. It wasn't a common tactic amongst paladins, but Jose knew certain holy monks that practiced such a technique.

The dragon had enough.

It roared and flexed the full might of its battered body, shattering the remains of its rocky prison. It stretched its wings and body, cracking and smashing more of the rubble and the slag chute that they were in.

The beast smashed through the tunnel as it lunged at the knight again. An arrow struck the beast squarely in the chest, but it bounced off harmlessly off its scale and did little to blunt its charge.

"Daros lucha!" shouted Jose as he met the monster head on. The knight rushed the dragon directly , and his foe seemed eager to oblige. Just as they were about to collide, Jose weaved and ducked avoiding the beast's lethal fangs. He wrapped his arms around the dragon's serpentine neck and squeezed with all his might. Another arrow struck the beast in the shoulder and pierced its hide this time. Jose glanced down the tunnel and saw Maid readying and aiming another shot.

"Mangosta estrangulador!" Jose roared as he renewed his efforts and choked the dragon with his vice like grip.

The dragon thrashed about , its eyes in a state of disbelief. Though it was vastly stronger than the knight, his opponent's position, and use of leverage made him impossible to dislodge. The dragon attempted to claw at the knight, and managed to rake him a few times, but the knight's grip did not relent.

Suddenly the monster grew limp in Jose's arms, and its head crashed onto the ground.

Jose glanced at it suspiciously, half suspecting it was a trick. Even though he had the proper hold in place, he didn't think he applied enough pressure or choked it long enough for it to actually pass out. The creature was a young specimen of his race and heavily wounded from before, but it was still a red dragon and the knight had expected much more from it.

The knight saw the dragon's struggles had removed the boulder that stood in his way. Through the dust and debris he could make out a small crack that lead to the main forge chamber. While he could not see them, Jose could hear the muffled angry shouts of goblins attempting to excavate a larger path towards them. Jose could also hear the pained moans of the druid at his feet and an odd purring from the bloodied dwarf. He had to make a choice.

"Get Pig Iron and Kaeda now you idiot! " shouted Trent as he struggled to hold his crossbow. Jose blinked at the Halfling then proceeded with his order. If Kit was alive, he silently swore he would return and rescue her, if she was dead he would return to exact revenge. For now though, he had his comrades to worry about.

The knight hefted the druid once more over his shoulders and grabbed the dwarf . As he exited the slag tunnel, he noted a crossbow bolt squarely embedded in the dragon's throat and through the back of its head. Jose then realized the reason the dragon stopped struggling, and nodded to Trent as he escaped through the tunnel.

As he exited the chute, he saw the full extent of his companion's injuries. Trent was bleeding profusely on his side where the dragon struck him. The Halfling simply stuck the folds of his military tabard over the wound to help staunch the bleeding, and soldiered on. The normally pretty and confident Maid was covered in bruises and light wounds. Her left arm seemed to rest limply at her side, confirming Jose's earlier suspicions that she had injured it somehow. Though she fired the bow at least twice against the dragon, Jose thought the effort must have been debilitating and painful.

While Jose was concerned with his companion's health, Trent took careful observation of their surroundings. The Halfling ignored his wounds and hopped onto the highest rock he can easily reach, he made a motion for the rest of the group to be quiet and listened closely into the air. He then scanned their mist filled surroundings and hopped back down. Jose's senses were sharp, but he knew he was limited by his human heritage. Halflings on the other hand were considered much more observant than most races, save perhaps elves, a survival trait Jose attributed to the fact that they were much more smaller and had to watch out for big lumbering predators.

"I can hear goblin shouts in the distance, but they are far away. Perhaps half a mile. No signs of dragons or more importantly Githyanki though. I think we might have wiped them out, since if there were anymore they would have wiped us out by now. If they had a tactical reserve, they would have committed by now. Just look at us, we aren't in much position to fight , especially against more dragon riding wizards, " remarked the Halfling coldly.

Maid shook her head. "No…the reason we aren't dead is also the reason that they are here", she gasped cryptically. Jose half expected her to fall over from the strain of talking, but the stubborn Innkeeper continued her explanation. " The ore they were seeking, this slag we are near, and even this mountain, clouds their vision. Adamant is one of the few materials from our world, that extends to the astral and ethereal planes. With all this low grade ore in the area, it disrupts their vision into our plane. I suspect that with all this stuff here it would appear as a thick fog for our pale skinned friends" , she said even as she kicked some of the hardened slag.

Jose stared at her in surprise. Her knowledge of the ore was clearly greater than Trent's or his own.

Maid caught his stare and smirked. "Oh , don't give me that look. I grew up with Master Dwarven Blacksmiths, they loved to impress the local barmaid with tales of adventures and of their craft. "

Trent chuckled lightly at her, and inadverdently coughed some blood up . The harsh reality of their injuries were made apparent as the Halfling struggled to regain his composure. After a brief series of bloody hacks, the Halfling took a deep breath and settled down. "Jose summon Greenpaw. Even if this place is shrouded with mists, both on this plane and in the aether, they will find us soon. I suspect even as we speak, they are questioning the Spriggans where the slag chute leads to. It won't be long till one of their patrols spot us. We have to ride out of here, use the mountains to our advantage. "

Jose nodded and summoned the mighty Greenpaw once again. The dog formed from thin air and it snarled menacingly towards the chute, after a few seconds it noticed the group's injuries and he began to whine in concern. Jose noted that its fur was still bloodied from its battle with the dragon. The knight motioned it to fall down and the wardog promptly did. He put Pig Iron into one of its saddle bags, and Trent unceremoniously into the other bag. Maid propped up Kaeda as best she could on his back while Jose took the rider's position . The dog was overladen, but it did not seem to mind its burden.

Jose glanced down the tunnel one more time, renewing his silent vow to return. In his heart, he suspected she was dead, but that would not deter him from his vengeance. The wrath of the Order of the Husky was a legendary thing. It defeated the charge of Yeehnoghu's horde, it defeated the Order of the Griffon, and it smited the demi god Ogremoch. The revenge he would extract from these Astral Warriors would be no different. With thought's of future vengeance in his head he forced himself to turn away and leaned forward to pat Greenpaw's head. "Date prisa…Vamanos, "he whispered, and the war dog sprinted down the mountain.

* * *

During his tutelage under Sir Rollo, Jose was considered a gifted healer. Not as good as a cleric , druid or even the mysterious oracles, but sufficient enough to handle the healing of a whole platoon if need be. Jose preferred to battle in the front lines, but he accepted his humble role. He knew his position as a squire was not a guarantee so played to his master's perceived assessment of his strengths. His diligence paid off though as the young man's skill with the blade soon outshined his ability to heal, especially in larger operations where true clerics were often in their ranks.

As the beaten band regrouped, Jose applied the skills of his youth on the injured. He had channeled some of his divine energy already in steady bursts to heal his group during the melee in the forge room, and expended the rest to stabilize Pig Iron and Kaeda. The minor healing wand was already used, and Trent's supply of healing potions were empty, forcing the paladin to resort to mundane bandages and salves.

Jose scanned the small grove that they found. It was sufficiently shielded to prevent the group from being spotted from afar, and open enough to give them swift escape routes. He didn't think the goblins would find them though. Goblins and hobgoblins were not known for their dutiful patrols, and Jose thought he saw Kaeda's golden eagle circle far in the distance. Perhaps it was leading their foes away from them, or maybe it was simply hunting goblins.

Jose fumed. It wouldn't be till morning to his divine energy would return. Even then , the extent of the group's injuries were beyond his ability to restore. He would need to revive the druid, and he guessed she would take another full day to regain her own healing ability to recuperate the group to full health. If they were to assault the enemy fortress again, they would have to wait another day for her to regain her full complement of spells. More time for the enemy to regroup , or worse yet to discover their location. He also lost his sword and shield in the previous battle, though he had a replacement blade in Greenpaw's pack, and also the Githyanki blade he captured, the knight didn't feel the same without his trusty blade.

"I know what you're thinking my friend," gasped Trent " You want to go back and start hacking and slaughtering everyone, which I support in principal. However, we underestimated them badly. We caught them by surprise and ruined their adamant production capabilities, which is much more than we could have hoped for. I don't know much about Githyanki as I wish I did, but from the brief time I served with and against them in the Great War I know they are a vengeful lot. They will be looking for us for retribution, but it might be awhile before it comes."

"So is Essuria in more or less danger? " asked Jose.

"I would guess the same amount. Maybe one more big but halfhearted attack before the goblins break and disperse. , " shrugged Trent. " The towns of the Western Freehold and the goblins mean nothing to the Githyanki. They hold long grudges, for millennium in some cases. They would like nothing better than to watch Essuria burn for our attack but they won't focus their efforts on the town if it doesn't suit their purposes. "

"Wait so Essuira will still be attacked…so this entire expedition was in vain? Did we lose Keeta and possibly Pig Iron and Kaeda for nothing? ", asked Jose in disbelief.

Trent shook his head. " We put a hold to whatever plans they were hatching, we know the true nature of our foe, and we forced their hand. I rather we stand triumphant over their crushed their bodies, see them driven before us, and to hear the lamentation of their women. That is if those gaunt skinny bastards have any women, but we still did good considering our number, " laughed the Halfling slightly.

Jose shared in his joke and chuckled, but then grew serious. "So what now? I think we can mount another attack against their base in roughly three days. What do you think?"

Trent sighed. "Like I said, I know what you're thinking. However, I think it best if we fall back and retreat to Essuria and aid in its defense. We accomplished what we came for and Kit would want it that way. We need to tell the other towns what we've learned and gather our strength before striking back at them, besides I doubt that's their real base. They were just there to produce those ingots, which I might add we still don't know what they are using for. Those Spriggans had no clue either, and I am assuming they are being transported to another location. Gnomes are obnoxiously curious, and that's saying a lot coming from a Halfling. If they were using the ingots at their location, those two gnomes would have found out why. "

Jose shook his head in anger. Not because Trent mentioned that their true base is elsewhere, but because he hinted that she was dead. His head told him he was correct, but his heart refused to believe it. "Listen…Keeta is still alive somewhere. I don't know where, but she is waiting for us to rescue her. I'm not going to abandon her, "he growled despite his own thoughts. He wanted to shout but was mindful of the goblins in the area.

"You saw those rocks come down on her. Kit knew her duty, and more importantly knew the risks. She would not want us to blindly walk into danger, "was all Trent said.

The two sat in silence in the dark grove after that. Only the purring of the dwarf and the pained gasps of the druid were heard.

Finally Maid cleared her throat. "Trent is needed back in Essuria to coordinate the town's defense. Kaeda has a good heart, but she's too inexperienced and out of her element here, especially sneaking around underground in some forge complex. Jose and Pig Iron fight like lions, but they both stick out like sore thumbs. The Githyanki and goblins would see them a mile away if they attempted another attack. "

"So what are you suggesting? " asked Jose as he glared at her. He saw the Innkeeper shirk momentarily back from his iron gaze but to her credit, she regained her composure and faced him once again.

"Kit is my friend too. I don't use that word lightly. I am suggesting that you trust me, and place your faith in me, "she said with fierce determination.


	19. Chapter 19

Kitahria awoke to soft sobs.

"Oh, great…I'm crying, how embarrassing. " she thought to herself. As her mind became clearer, she realized she was mistaken , the sound wasn't originating from her.

Kit's body was sore, especially her arms and her neck. She forced her eyes open and saw she was in a dark prison. Her wrists were chained in manacles and pulled over her head, while she sat on the hard stone floor. Though she couldn't see it clearly , she also felt a heavy metal collar around her neck. She couldn't feel the weight of her weapons but saw most of her tattered armor was still on her, but . She guessed that the gnomes, goblins, or perhaps Githyanki that caught her did not think enough of her light armor to strip her of it.

At the thought, Kit began to giggle despite her situation. She already had fought some giants and heard the gnomes mention something about golems, she wondered if Green Slimes or Gremlins would accost her next.

At the sound of her slight laughter, the sobbing stopped. Kit immediately noticed the change in the background sound and peered closer at her surroundings. Besides being in a dark prison , her keen vision saw her small cell was surrounded on three sides by bars. She guessed it was slightly smaller than a 10 x 10 room, and it was adjacent to two other cells of a similar nature. The entire area reeked of charcoal, ash , and iron, which she guessed was due to the forges in the complex, or perhaps some musk from the dragon that had attacked her.

In the next cell over, she saw a woman in a similar situation as herself. She sat on the stone cold floor, with her wrists chained over her head, while wearing a thick collar that was interestingly enough not attached to anything. She wore an elaborate classical red dress, but it was currently in ripped in several parts. She was much taller than Kit, which wasn't that amazing, since she considered herself short to begin with. Regardless of their differences, Kit guessed the woman was as tall as Kaeda or perhaps Sir Jose.

She had a full matronly look about her but did not look fat or overweight. Kit guessed she was in her late 30s or early forties. Her head was framed by a thick mane of golden red hair that partially obscured her face, similar to Kit's but slightly lighter in color with a few streaks of grey. Only her black painted nails betrayed some odd sense of vanity left in her.

"You've awaken," stated the woman as she composed herself.

"Aye….where are we? And who are you? ", asked Kit.

There was a brief pause as the woman considered her answer. Kit thought she would begin weeping again, but she cleared her throat and answered. " You are deep in the Western Freeholds, a prisoner of the Githyanki like myself. I am …my name is Madeline. "

Kit nodded at her response, when suddenly one of the taller goblins burst into the room. The squire noticed it wasn't as hairy as the bugbears, but was more armored and a had a hardened look to it. Kit noticed a ring of keys at his side, and guessed he was their jailor. "Silence!" it shouted why brandishing a long spear. It jabbed it once at Kit, who instinctively drew her feet away nimbly. The tall goblin jabbed a few times at his nimble prey, but soon gave up. He then went to Madeline and jabbed at her a few times. Kit noticed that the matronly woman did not flinch as the spear missed her a few times by a mere inches.

The goblin scowled. "We're packing up soon and heading to the main base. You won't act so tough when Zazoz himself gets through with you, " it spat before leaving the room.

Kit watched their tormentor leave and her blood begin to boil. Even without weapons, she felt she could easily tear his throat out. Before she exacted her plan , she turned to Madeline and whispered, " My name is Kitahria, they caught me when we destroyed their forges."

"Well done, " Madeline smiled briefly at the young squire. " I was deep in the mountains, and they caught me after I was wounded by your flock of giant golden eagles. I took refuge in a cave to evade your people's unprovoked attacks, but I was surprised and swiftly overpowered by the Githyanki's magic in my weakened condition, "she sighed."I guess I should have expected that when entering druid land."

Kit perked her ears up in surprise. She noticed that once again she had her fox ears up , and she guessed that was the reason Madeline had mistaken her for a druid. More interesting was that she described an attack by what could be none other than Kaeda's eagles. Was Jose correct about druids after all? Kit admitted she bore no love for Kaeda, she couldn't stand the way the woman flaunted her large breasts about, but she didn't think she would waylay travelers like Jose warned.

"Were the eagles sent by the local druids? ", whispered Kit cautiously.

Madeline shrugged," Most likely though I bear you no ill will. It's ironic though. I was defeated by a druid, but these monsters actually think I am one. When they captured me they thought I was a member of that cult."

Kit giggled lightly. "By the way . I'm not a druid either. These ears..umm…these ears are natural. "

Madeline looked at Kit carefully and nodded. "I see. Well , I guess we have something in common then, since our captors think both of us are nature priests. "

Kit snorted. "You said you were deep in the mountains. Are you an adventurer? Were you simply exploring?" she asked.

Madeline's lip quivered and she silently began sobbing again.

Kit wasn't sure what to say to the sobbing woman. Madeline's weeping and tears were the saddest thing she ever heard and it shook her to her soul. Kit sensed that Madeline's despair did not stem from her imprisonment but something greater. "It's alright. I'm sorry if I brought it up, " she said in an attempt to calm her.

Madeline continued to cry for a few more minutes than struggled to regain her composure. "I'm sorry. I was in the mountain to find my children. They were ..they were stolen from me a few month's ago. I tracked them to this wasteland, but I was defeated by surprisingly powerful ruffians that barred my path. That's when the eagles attacked me, and the Githyanki captured me. "

Kit frowned at the injustice the woman described then a thought came to her. "Wait, that seemed like quite the task for a single woman. Did you have body guards or something with you?"

Madeline shook her head. "I should have brought body guards, but I came alone. You see…I'm not what I appear. I'm a …sorceress of some power. Unfortunately , my magic is useless here and I'm their prisoner, " she sighed as she tested her chains restraining her wrists . Kit noticed that the wall shuddered from her effort but they held her firm. She also noticed that when she shook her head, part of her long red hair parted revealing a deep scar over one eye, that looked fairly recent.

"As you can see, I'm nothing but a half blinded prisoner now. I can't save my children, and I certainly can't save my self ," she said with a sigh.

Kit expected the woman to start crying again. "Wait…wait…I can get us out. I can slip these bonds , and retrieve the keys from our captors," reassured Kit. The squire focused her spirit and attempted to shift forms, but to her surprise she remained in her human form. Kit tried again and discovered it was no use, her form was somehow locked , save for her ears that Sir Jose often teased her about. She guessed she must have inadvertently shifted them during the battle in the forge room , and they had been this way ever since.

"Save your strength. These collars were made to hold druids. It prevents both the use of magic , and the ability to shift forms, " sighed Madeline. "I assume you were attempting to change into your wolf form , correct?"

Kit looked at the matronly woman , and was surprised she had discerned she was some sort of were creature. " I'm a were fox actually, or in my land we are called Kitsune, " she stated proudly , mindful of her voice so not to alert the guard.

"Were fox? No offense, but I've never heard of that particular breed. I'm mostly familiar with were rats, were boars, were bears, were tigers and of course the most common were wolves, " teased Madeline with a slight smile.

"There's a lot more types of lycanthropes than you think. There are were sharks, were badgers, were ravens….well too many to name. I'm surprise you haven't heard of were foxes….we've been around ever since they first discovered the Lost city of Cynidicea. As my lord would say…that's old school ! ", declared Kit as she took the bait. She saw that her fellow prisoner was playing with her, but somehow it managed to cheer her up.

"My apologies for the slight, " Madeline bowed in a courtly manner. Despite her chained wrists, battered appearance and her torn dress, the matronly woman exuded an aristocratic aura. Kit wondered if she was nobility of some sort, and if her kidnapped children were princes or princesses.

"Quiet! ", shouted the jailor once again. The hobgoblin returned once again with his spear and threatened the two prisoners. Madeline glared at him , but remained silent as commanded, but Kit snarled in defiance.

"Ooo big man, behind bars with a spear, threatening chained women. You must be so proud of yourself, " Kit taunted. She was currently powerless, but the young squire hoped she could provoke some sort of careless reaction from the tall goblin that she could capitalize on.

The goblin took his spear and jabbed at Kit. Despite her chains, she easily dodged the attack with a sneer. The goblin grew frustrated and switched to a wide sweeping attack. Because of her chained wrists, her mobility was limited, and the goblin managed to land a few heavy swats against the squire's side. Kit thought her skin would save her , since the weapon did not appear silver, and was shocked at the goblin's painful blows.

"Not so tough now are you ? ", growled the tall goblin. Kit yelped in pain at the unexpected beating she was taking. She was use to taking punishment, but she cried at how powerless she was against this simple goblin.

"Leave her alone! ", growled Madeline in an unexpectedly powerful voice. The goblin cringed at the challenge, and stepped back. It looked at the matronly prisoner and some of his courage returned. "Do you want to take her beating instead? ", threatened the jailor.

Madeline remained silent except her slow burning stare from her one good eye, and Kit thought the worse was about to happen.

As the goblin raised his spear once again , it suddenly keeled over in a grunt, clutching its stomach. A small figure then hopped in front of their tormentor and laid him out with a single powerful slap across the face.

Kit looked in surprise as she saw it was the gnome/spriggan called Buckles. The gnome held out a finger to his lips, and retrieved the unconscious goblin's keys.

Buckles quickly unlocked Kit's cell and then proceeded to unlock her manacles.

"Why ?" Kit asked. Before she got knocked out , she recalled beating Buckles to an inch of his life and could not understand why he was rescuing her now.

"A gnome remembers his debts, and I owe you for saving my life when the roof caved in, " Buckles replied. Kit recalled she tossed him under a mine cart before the roof collapse, but that was mainly to hide her prisoner. When the roof finally fell, she guessed she must have been knocked underneath the cart as well. She guessed from the gnome's point of view it might have appeared she was rescuing him, a notion that she had no intention of correcting.

Buckles fumbled a few times with various keys in an attempt to unlock her neck collar but eventually shrugged in vain. He then tip toed towards the exit , but Kit grabbed his shoulders.

"Release Madeline as well, " she ordered.

Buckles raised a questioning eyebrow. "Her magic is sealed, but she's dangerous and has a mile wide mean streak. She's the most savage druid we've captured," he cautioned.

"Release her ", she ordered again with more force in her voice.

Buckles sighed and relented. He proceeded to the sorceress's cell, but Madeline shook her head.

"No …leave me to my misery. I'm a mother that has failed her children. Leave me here to rot with my shame, "Madeline said sadly.

Kit saw the matronly woman's eyes well up once again. Kit conceded she had truly given up hope. A part of her wanted to help the poor woman, but she found to her embarrassment she could not commit so such a vow . The goblins and giants invading Essuria, and even the Githyanki menace took priority over helping Madeline.

Kit stopped in mid thought, and cursed herself. She was a squire of the Husky, a knightly order that was held in the highest esteem. If she couldn't help her, than who would ?

"I don't know how long you've been locked up here, or where your children are, but I swear on the honor of my Order, that I will help you find them. I don't know how , but I will find a way, " Kit declared. Kit's cheeks grew red , as she realized she sounded a bit like Sir Jose, but she would not retract her statement.

Madeline stopped and glared at Kit. Even though the woman had been sobbing and was chained to the wall, she felt an overpowering presence behind those eyes. They seemed to stare into her soul, and sought to see how sincere she was in her statement. Kit did not flinch from her judgement and summoned all her lessons from Sir Jose about honor and duty , and stared back.

"I accept your offer, " relented Madeline as she finally adverted her gaze from Kit. The young squire felt a great weight off her heart, the Sorceress had judged her character and she had passed.

Buckles shrugged at the two women's exchange and proceeded to unlock the heavy wrist manacles restraining the older woman. Madeline tested the collar around her neck with her black painted nails, but an arc of white energy seemed to burn her fingers for her curiosity.

"My hypothesis about these collars are accurate it seems. My magic is sealed, " she sighed.

Kit retrieved the goblins spear and tossed it to Madeline, who caught it clumsily. Kit noticed she handled the spear competently but not with any particular skill, and guessed she probably depended on her spells more than on weapons. Kit then searched the goblin and found a serviceable knife and club.

Before she retrieved the weapons, Buckles smiled and presented her with her prized Kukris. "I picked these out of the rubble for you, " he stammered as he presented the four short curved blades.

Kit was overjoyed. She hugged the gnome, who's cute cheeks promptly turned a rosy red.

"Aww shucks, " he said shyly. Kit thought it was such a great contrast from last he faced him, when the gnome was twelve tall and stomping around with its hook hammer.

Buckles recovered his composure and waved the pair to follow them. "Some of the guards are searching for your friends, some are being sent to an undisclosed location with that Gregor guy, while a few have been commited to assist the next attack against your town. The rest are searching for something the Githyanki lost recently, something important and dear to them I suppose, or are busy packing up since this place is useless now that the forge room is busted up. There won't be many patrols , but I think I can sneak you past the remaining guards . I know this place like the back of my hand, and not too many goblins will question a Spriggan, "giggled Buckles softly.

"What exactly is a Spriggan anyways? I've never heard of you guys, " asked Kit inquisitively.

Madeline sighed and replied before Buckles could. " All gnomes are inherently magical, part fey if you like, although a very small part . Spriggans are members of the gnome race that have the greatest connection to the fey realms, save perhaps the murderous red caps. They are known to be amongst the world's greatest builders of ancient monuments, but more often or not they are ruthless mercenary these days," the sorceress explained.

Buckled nodded in agreement, " You say that as a bad thing. A gnome's gotta eat you know," he chuckled.

As the trio made their way through the mostly deserted complex, Kit could discern that Buckles was leading them away from crowded areas. Several times during their trek she thought they would be discovered, but the gnome directed them to a less travelled passage. The complex was definitely busy, but only in certain areas it seemed. Buckles certainly did not exaggerate when he claimed this base was mostly being abandoned.

While Kit instinctively sneaked about, her companions were not so stealthy. Buckles waddled in a cute almost skipping like manner down the hall, while Madeline walked in a proud gait. Even though the middle age woman was in a tattered dress, she carried herself like a proper noblewoman.

As they neared what Buckles claimed to be the exit, suddenly a sharp squeaky voice halted their plans.

"Traitor!", shouted a shrill small voice.

Kit looked behind them , and saw the other Spriggan Peanut had discovered them. He looked like before except one of his eyes was puffed up and stitched. Kit reminded herself on how she almost extracted his eye in the earlier fight.

"Run straight, and crash through the guard. I'll handle this ! ", declared Buckles as he waved Kit and Madeline forward. The sorceress nodded at the gnome as she passed. Kit followed suit, but couldn't help herself and kissed the small gnome's head, right beneath his pointy hat.

"Aww shucks, "repeated Buckles again before he faced his former comrade.

"Traitor! ", shouted Peanut again as he rushed forwards.

Kit raced with Madeline but glanced back at the two Spriggans. She expected the pair to transform into their massive forms , and slam into each other like two charging bull elephants. Instead, they both remained in gnome form and was engaged in a curious, almost silly slap fight, where the pair flailed away at each other, while attempting to advert their heads.

"Oww quit it!", squeaked Buckles as he fended off Peanut by waving his hands in an uncontrolled frenzy before him.

"No…you quit it! ", piped Peanut as he repeated a similar wild motion with his hand.

The two were locked in the stupidest fight that Kit had ever seen. Even more sillier than Sir Jose's Darokin unarmed combat techniques, where he announced his attacks and did everything with a showman's flair. She would have stopped and laughed at the pair, except she heard a horde of goblin voices from further behind the slap happy gnomes, most likely sentries that heard Peanut's alarm.

"I'm gonna tell mom! ", threatened Buckles as he landed a sharp slap across Peanut's cheek.

"No fair !", retorted Peanut as he pulled Buckles's beard in retaliation.

"Kit! Hobgoblins are blocking our path!", warned Madeline as she lead the way.

Kit turned away from the silly battle and saw the exit that Buckles had described. Unfortunately the door appeared to be secured by some sort of unseen locking mechanism, most likely constructed by the pair of slap happy gnomes behind them. Even more disheartening were roughly ten of the tall goblin guards , with shields locked and spears pointed at them.

Kit knew their situation was dire. She knew she was still too weakened to engage in a prolonged fight, and suspected the same from Madeline. Also , they had no means of triggering the mechanism to open the door. If they somehow defeated the goblins, she doubt they could open the closed gate, before the goblins behind them caught up. The young squire knew this would be their best chance to escape , but seriously considered surrendering and waiting for another opportunity.

Suddenly the room was filled with the noise of turning wheels and clanking gears. The gate behind the phalanx of goblins began to open, which caught the defenders by surprise. Several of the goblins broke rank and turned to see what was the cause was, but they were systematically hit with a steady barrage of arrows from above the gate.

Kit's eyes grew wide as she couldn't believe it. A shapely woman with curly brown hair was above the gate firing arrows with deadly accuracy on the goblins below. Maid had somehow snuck into the fortress and was assisting them in their escape. She didn't know if this was planned or just plain luck, but gave thanks to the Grommish god of fortune for this coincidence, Curd or Kard or something like that.

As the gate began to crack open, Kit increased her speed and ran past Madeline to engage the enemy first. Though part of their ranks were diverted, the spears of the phalanx formed a barrier of sharp spikes. The agile squire leaped and somersaulted through the air to avoid them. The tall goblins were shock to say the least from Kit's acrobatics and their ranks dispersed slightly to meet the new threat. Kit thanked Curd or Kard once again, that the Phalanx only consisted of one rank of spear men. A standard Phalanx would have multiple lairs of spearmen , who would have skewered her for sure.

The dispersed spearmen proved little threat to Kit , which slashed a pair in their stomachs like a dervish before leaping away from their counter attacks. Maid slew another with her arrow which was finally enough to break the goblin's ranks. Kit was pleasantly surprised by Madeline as she managed to spear a goblin all the way through with her spear, when she finally reached the battle.

Maid seemed to manipulate some levers above the door, which stopped the opening gate and sent it slowly closing. She snapped some handles and bashed some controls before hopping down and through the gate , waving her allies to follow.

Kit knew that the goblins would be delayed reopening the gate thus ensuring their escape, but she dreaded the fact that Buckles would most likely be trapped. She hesitated to escape, but Madeline grabbed her and with surprising strength dragged her through the closing gate.

"Buckles made his decision to help us, let us honor his sacrifice by ensuring we escape", said the sorceress grimly.

Kit nodded reluctantly and followed Maid as they ran down the mountain.

They ran for roughly a mile. Kit noticed that Maid had prepared several false trails ahead of time , and even passed some crude traps to deter their pursuers. The innkeeper had planned their escape well it seemed.

"Boy, I thought I would spend days searching that fortress for you , but silly me. You had the situation in hand, " laughed Maid as they came to a stop to rest. After catching her breath, Kit noticed the Innkeeper's left arm was bandaged heavily and her once perfect smooth skin, was marked by many bruises and cuts.

"Thanks, I had help, " she said, oddly saddened by her enemy turned rescuer's sacrifice.

"I see. Thank you for rescuing my good friend, " beamed Maid as she bowed before Madeline who was still recovering from their sprint.

Kit giggled at her friend's confusion . She was about to correct her, when she noticed Maid stop before the sorceress. She looked confused, and then suddenly her eyes grew wide. Maid suddenly drew her bow and pointed it directly at Madeline .

"Kit! Get back! You've been deceived! ", shouted the Innkeeper, seemingly forgetting they were being pursued. Even more surprising was the look on her face. Though Kit had only known Maid for a short time, she was shocked to see the panic that had gripped her.


	20. Chapter 20

"Stand back Kit, back away! Now!" repeated Maid once again with an edge of fear in her voice. The young Innkeeper had her bow drawn and aimed at the matronly prisoner Kitahria had just rescued.

"Maid have you lost your senses…Stop this…." hissed Kit, as she refused to budge . Her body was between the archer and Madeline and she guessed she was the only thing keeping her friend from shooting the poor woman.

Madeline did not seem to shirk from the threat and stood defiant. Her golden red hair was rustled by a slight mountain breeze, revealing her maimed eye. "Do as she says, Kitahria….back away. Despite my injuries, I can handle my own battles, "she remarked coolly to the squire. Madeline then took a step to the side relinquishing Kit's cover. "Here I am little archer….shoot me if you dare," she said in a mocking voice.

Maid swiveled smoothyly and continued to track her target, but Kit once again stepped in her path. She placed herself horizontal to the pair and twisted her head rapidly to watch them alternately.

"Kit, you've been deceived. She's not what she appears," offered Maid once again as beads of sweat dripped off her brow."I have a sense about these things. "

"She's right Kitahria, step away. I have not been completely honest you. Let this unfold as it was meant to be," agreed Madeline with a sad frown.

Kit shook her head and faced the older woman directly. "Was the story about your children a lie?" she asked.

At the mention of her children, Madeline's confrontational demeanor vanished. The older woman stumbled back a step as if she was struck by a heavy invisible blow and placed a shaking hand to her mouth. "No…I would never lie about them, never "she stated with a cracking voice.

Kit nodded and turned to Maid. "Put your bow down, I made a vow to help her get back her children."

Maid considered her words but did not lower her weapons. "Children?"

Kit nodded once again. "Yes, her children were taken from her, and she came here to find them. She was injured and they captured her. "

"You believe her? You don't suspect a trap? Don't you think your escape was a little easy? "inquired the Innkeeper.

"Madeline did not help me in my escape. A gnome named Buckles did. As for believing her….yes, yes I do believe her story ", declared Kit.

She glanced back at the now weeping woman, and Kit's heart broke. The sound made her remember when she was a thrall of Mogombo. She saw many women like her, their children taken away, pitifully begging to her demonic lord to spare their offspring. A part of her always wanted to help them, but she was too weak and cowardly to make such a stand against her old master. However, under Sir Jose's crude and often nonsensical tutelage, she felt like a different person, a person that can stand up for what's right. She didn't know how or when she changed but after the recent talk he had with her when she was almost slain, she resolved to be the person that she wanted to be not the person she was. Someone who could defend those that couldn't, someone that did what was right, and not what was easy.

"I made a vow to help her recover her kids that were stolen form her, and as long as she doesn't do anything to betray my trust, that is what I intend to do, "declared the squire proudly.

Maid slowly lowered her weapon, "Gregor stole your children?", she asked cautiously.

Madeline stifled her tears and regained her composure. "The thieves that stole my children told me that the Mayor of Essuria engineered their capture, I believe his name is Gregor. I suspect that he sold them to the Githyanki, but it matters not what his role was. They will all pay with their lives if they harm my little ones, "she stated with some of her old haughtiness intact.

Maid nodded and sighed. "Well, if Kit has your back, I guess I will too. "

Kit smiled at her friend. She would have jumped in front of an arrow to save Madeline, but she did not relish the thought; especially since she was still wearing the enchanted prisoner collar. She recalled the tall goblin or hobgoblin whacking her with a regular looking spear and her still bruised ribs were a testament to the collar's ability to strip away its prisoner's defenses.

"Maid, you're good with locks right? Can you get these collars off of us?" Kit asked with a smile.

Maid nodded and motioned the young squire over. She took several pins out of her perfectly done up hair and carefully tinkered with the lock. Several times arcs of magical of energy shocked Kit, but the more the Innkeeper poked at the device the more competent she seemed to master it. Finally after several minutes, the collar clicked and then snapped open, before falling inert to the ground. Maid then examined the magical bond and raised an eyebrow. "The runes on them claim they are some type of druid bane bonds. How do they actually work?"

Kit fluttered her ears and frowned. "I can't hide my ears, and Madeline can't use her magic. They also strip away my enchanted skin, "she shrugged. To demonstrate her point, she changed her long fox ears back to human ones, a simple task she could not do when the collar had sealed her power.

Maid stopped and looked at Madeline nervously. "Her power is kept in check because of the collar? I didn't realize that, although it would explain why she didn't kill me earlier. "

"Save for a mere fraction of my natural strength, I am as defenseless as a normal human, " offered the matronly woman as she spread her arms out , offering the Innkeeper a target. "If you can get past the loyal squire, you are welcomed to try again. My life means nothing without my children, " she added.

Kit shook her head at the drama once again. "Look , I think you've already guessed that Madeline is a sorceress. I guess you have a beef with sorcerers in general like Sir Jose has a problem with druids. I can understand it. As much as we try, its hard to get along with everyone all the time. As a non wizard or priest, I find it especially hard to trust someone that can warp reality with magic , shoot lightning, or even charm enemies with spells. However, despite hating the label, we're adventurers and we are expected to get past these little quirks. If you can accept Sir Jose for being an alcoholic knight, Pig Iron for ..umm…thinking he's a cat, Trent for being a midget that rides dogs, and myself for being a were fox; you can accept Madeline for being a sorceress."

"Kit…she's not quite a sorc…." Began Maid but was interrupted by the Matronly woman.

"My power is unchallenged and unrivaled, but I am currently at your mercy. I would normally die before asking for help, but I cannot rescue my children with this collar draining my powers," declared Madeline. Then she bowed submissively to the Innkeeper and her voice cracked once more. " I beg you to remove this collar , I will take whatever oaths to whatever gods you request if you free me from this."

Kit and Maid both seemed taken aback by the humility the woman was showing. Maid then relented and stated her terms. "I only ask that you restrict your violence to only the ones that willingly stole your children. Spare those that did not incur your wrath. When you've recovered your young, promise to leave this place. Go far , far away. "

"I swear so on the avarice of Tiamat, " Madeline replied .

Kit was a bit confused. She didn't know much about Tiamat, but she did know she was the goddess of Dragons, specifically evil dragons. She also recalled something about a sorcerer's magic was derived from his or her bloodlines, and a fair majority of them claim they are dragon blooded. After a while, the young squire reasoned that Madeline must be one of those sorceresses and she probably paid homage to that particular dragon goddess , thus explaining the nature of the oath Madeline uttered.

Maid smiled and her edginess vanished, the light hearted young innkeeper that Kit was accustomed to had returned. She promptly began working on the matronly woman's collar and in roughly half the time she opened Kit's she opened that one as well. With her task complete she then bowed before Madeline in a gracious manner. "I apologize for my earlier behavior."

Madeline was wary of the attitude change exhibited by Maid but accepted her apology with a slight perfectly timed curtsey, one that Kit often practiced but always ended up making it look forced. "I understand your caution, and if I were in your position, I would most likely act the same way "empathized Madeline.

"Luckily for the both of us, we have Kit here as a voice of reason," beamed Maid as she hugged the young squire.

Madeline smiled in agreement. "Yes, I owe Kitahria for returning me my freedom, and my power. She is a very loyal and brave girl." Kit would have normally fumed at being called a girl, but it sounded oddly comforting and uplifting when spoken by Madeline.

"Good luck on cleansing the mountain and finding your children. I wish you the best of luck ", smiled Maid as she released Kit.

Kit did not protest Maid's statement. She had hoped to help the matronly woman in her task, but gleaned from the earlier conversation between Maid and Madeline, that the sorceress would now strive out on her to do so on her own. From the brief time Kit had known her, she seemed a very strong and independent woman, and if her magic is as powerful as she claimed it to be, the Innkeeper and the Squire would only hold her back.

Madeline however shook her head "I am still weakened by my ordeal . Even if I was at full strength, I've already failed in my attempt. Seeing how our goals are versimilar, and watching your resourcefulness and success first hand, I wish to accompany and assist you in your task so you might assist me in mine."

Kit nodded wholeheartedly in agreement, but Maid's cautiousness swiftly returned.

"Can she come with us? Can she come? I'm sure Sir Jose would gladly help her," pleaded Kit .

Maid considered her words, took a deep breath, and returned an uneasy smile " I suppose she can, it's not like we can stop her from following us. Whether Jose agrees or not is a different matter ", she conceded. She then turned to Madeline and a mischievous grin grew on her face. "If you're going to follow us however, I can't possibly allow you to wear such a tattered dress and have your hair hang in clumps."

* * *

Kit took up sentry position on a tree. Her keen eyes and hearing could detect the hobgoblins, but she also noted they were quite far away. She also heard the faint thunder of what sounded like war drums, but they were even further away, possibly twenty or thirty miles. After roughly ten minutes, she was heard a bird like call . A signal that Maid had finished her task. With the group ready to move, Kit lightly slid down her post and rejoined her friends.

Even though they were being pursued by hobgoblins, Maid would not be rushed in picking out a dress and partially combing and styling Madeline's golden red hair. The matronly woman protested at first, but became much more agreeable when the Innkeeper showered her with compliments about her appearance. After Maid was finished, the disheveled and worn woman looked every much like the striking noblewoman that Kit guessed was her background.

Maid went through her extra dimensional pack and had chosen a black laced dress with a white trim from her wardrobe for Madeline. Accompanied by a slightly lighter matching cloak, Kit thought it more appropriate for a fancy ball than hiking through the woods. Madeline's flowing hair was tied into a single long braid. The resourceful Innkeeper also applied liberal makeup and foundation, literally transforming the woman's formerly tear streaked face to that of a person which possessed a regal countenance.

Kit was taken aback at the transformation, and was slightly envious of Madeline's beauty. "Hey, how come you never share dresses with me , and give me makeovers? " protested the squire, partially in jest but with a tone of real jealousy in her voice.

Maid giggled, " You are much too short for my dresses, and you already have the natural impish tom boy look about you. "

"Young girls should not attempt to look older than they are. It makes them look like whores," added Madeline with a playful smirk.

Kit was not pleased by their answers." Wow if you two are done with picking on me, we should hurry back to Essuria. I'm sure Sir Jose will miss us, and he would like to know about the hidden base Buckles alluded to. "

"Yes, time is short. The war drums I hear off in the distance, means that the goblins will be attacking soon. From the sound of it, I assume they are from the series of valleys next to the town you call Essuria, " noted Madeline.

Kit was surprised that Madeline could not only hear the drums, but also determined their distance and direction. She was proud of her own hearing, but the sorceress's ears were clearly more refined than her own. Kit paused and wondered if it was some special audio magic . After all there were spells that enhanced strength, speed, and even wisdom; a spell enchanting one's hearing did not seem out of the question.

"Well, let's be off then," agreed Maid.

The trio travelled swiftly over the snow covered mountains. Kit was the quickest, as her woodland agility and feral speed allowed her to blaze through the snow and light trees in the region.

Maid was also adept in her movements. Kit wasn't surprised that her longer legs kept up with her, but she was a bit amazed that her light footed steps allowed her to balance her weight on branches and even banks of snow without shifting them.

Madeline was the slowest and Kit often had to slow a bit for her to catch up. The squire could see that she was frustrated , but her haughty attitude refused to crack . Kit expected the dress Maid had given her to be torn to shreds by now, but somehow it showed no signs of wear as she inadvertently scraped them over the rocks and branches.. She guessed either the dress was enchanted, or the Sorceress placed some sort of minor protective ward on it.

"Would it be quicker to fly us there?", asked Maid as they took a short break from their marathon hike. Kit nodded in agreement, thought not trained in magic, she had seen magicians levitate or even fly groups of people with their spells.

Madeline shook her head. " I could do that, but I caution against it. Although my power is returning , I am still weakened. Also it would be unwise to reveal our strength. I suspect the enemy is still seeking not only us, but the object they lost. "

"They are seeking an object?" asked Maid.

"When we were escaping, Buckles mentioned that the Githyanki had lost an item of great value to them, and they are devoting considerable efforts to recover it", explained Kit.

"You keep mentioning this…Buckles… is he some sort of boyfriend ", teased the Innkeeper.

Kit grew red , and brushed off the suggestion with a sniff. As she did so she caught a very faint smoky scent. Not the ash charcoal smell that had been following the group ever since they escaped the hobgoblin dungeons, but the sharp but slight smell of burning timbers.

Kit raced ahead and hopped upwards through the branches of the tallest tree. From her new vantage point, and her enhanced vision, she could see distant plumes of smoke and massed ranks of goblins and giants assaulting Essuria.

Kit slid down the tree gracefully and bounded back to her comrades. "They've already begun their attack. We'll be too late to help."

Madeline shook her head and sighed. "I did not wish to reveal our location and power to our foes, but there's no helping it now. Your master and his allies are useless to my children if they are dead," she declared while waving the Squire and Innkeeper back.

Maid took a step back as directed, but Kit stepped forwards. " Wait there's no need to risk combat without your full power at your disposal. Sir Jose is a big boy, he can hold his own against the goblins. There's no need to endanger your life for foolish heroics," pleaded the squire. Kit felt stupid saying that, since foolish heroics were something that Jose and herself were engaged in constantly.

Madeline grinned and revealed a toothy smile that seemed to slowly transform into a wall of daggers. " Even a fraction of my power is still considered formidable," she declared in a loud growing voice.


	21. Chapter 21

Sir Jose's lance shattered against the giant's skull. The massive humanoid stumbled back into Greenpaw's path , but the mighty war husky easily evaded it. The giant growled in confusion as it stumbled about clutching its bleeding head. A well-aimed throwing axe to its lower leg staggered it , before a crossbow bolt to the knee caused it to lurch before falling heavily to the ground.

Jose nodded at his passengers, Pig Iron and Trent, before resuming guiding his war dog across the battlefield.

"Damn, I broke my last lance, "the paladin grumbled as Greenpaw jumped over a troop of hobgoblins.

"Woof!" barked the massive green war husky.

"Well…it's your own fault isn't it. Never strike a giant in the skull, everyone knows the bone is thickest there ", laughed the Halfling as he fired his crossbow at the tall goblins now behind them. One of the goblin's spun around from the force of the small weapon before expiring on the ground.

Pig iron wrinkled his nose , but declined chucking another axe. Jose guessed he had either run out or had one more throwing axe left at most.

With the skirmishers behind them, Sir Jose concentrated on getting back to Essuria. With Greenpaw's speed and agility they had evaded the bulk of the infantry units between them and the town. A few more bands of skirmishers remained before them but Jose was confident they could either bolt past them, or shatter their ranks.

After their raid on the goblin forges they had traveled swiftly back to reinforce the town. They expected a clear path to Essuria but instead found the goblin army laying siege to it. The goblins and giants had reorganized more quickly than they had anticipated. It shouldn't have surprised them though, now that they had discovered the puppet masters behind this attack; a race of magical warriors which lived in the Aether , known as the Githyanki. A race well known for their swift and brutal strikes.

Sir Jose had his doubts when he agreed to accompany Trent back to town, he had hoped to mount a rescue for his squire instead. Now faced with the army before them, Jose cursed himself for not making greater haste in returning. The goblin horde seemed to have swelled to even greater proportions from their last defeat. Sir Jose counted a dozen tribal banners that he had not seen before, and the paladin wagered that the number of giants was twice as great as well.

"I thought you said they will launch a half-hearted attack. This doesn't look half-hearted at all to me. If we destroyed their furnaces why are they attacking the town again in so much force? They don't need the coke anymore or are they after something else Gregor had hidden?" asked Jose as Greenpaw raced through the battlefield.

Trent did not reply. He carefully aimed his crossbow and fired. A few seconds later he cursed, and Jose guessed his shot was spoiled. "Perhaps that is the case. I understand that goblins and giants aren't the smartest of creatures, and I would have expected them to move on to easier prey, "noted the Halfling as he aimed again.

As the group raced towards the walls, a chorus of howls sounded behind them. Jose glanced back and saw a large pack of goblin worg riders were closing in on them. Normally Greenpaw would be faster than any goblin's wolf, but the long journey and his heavy load gave the worg cavalry a definite edge in this race. Jose knew all it took was a single wolf to bite and latch on to Greenpaw to hamper his movements , allowing the rest of the pack to catch up and tear them to pieces. Even if they defeated the enemy cavalry in a straight melee, the rest of the goblin and giant infantry would catch up and slay them.

Trent sensed their precarious tactical situation as well, and began firing his crossbow rapidly with scant aiming. One worg was struck in the nose, while two more in their flanks. They were not lethal shots, but it did give a few of their pursuers pause and cause them to break off from the chase.

Pig Iron's aim was more deadly though, and he tossed what appeared to be his last hand axe into a wolf's head. The poor beast tumbled head over heals from the strike, tossing its rider fatally into the path of his fellows and colliding into another wolf in the process.

Despite the efforts of his comrades, the wolves drew closer. It looked like they would be doomed, but suddenly a shadow flew overhead, followed by the piercing shriek of a great golden eagle.

Kaeda and her animal companion swooped from the sky and savagely raked the lead wolf with its steel like claws. The rest of the pack briefly scattered in confusion, but both the war husky and the golden eagle were out of reach before they reorganized.

Jose smiled and waved at the druid , who blushed at his attention . Kaeda was the first to fall during their assault into the forge room, and apologized profusely over and over for her weakness after she recovered. Jose wasn't surprised though, a druid was more suited to an outdoor battle not the tunnel fighting they went through, and expected her to leave in shame soon afterwards. To his surprise, the strangely alluring druid promised to redouble her efforts and contributions to their informal group. Kaeda seemed more determined to return to rescue Kit than he was, but the group followed Trent's consul instead. They needed to regroup and gather reinforcements if they were expected to battle the dragon riding Githyanki again.

Kaeda was still too weakened to shift into an eagle herself and the group could not all fit onto her companion eagle's back, so she offered to scout the path ahead of them instead. Jose would have preferred if she flew to Essuria and appraise them of the situation but the druid fiercely resisted leaving their side; having abandoned one companion due to her perceived weakness, she would not abandon another. Jose was vocally angry at her opposition but he secretly valued such loyalty in his companions.

"We aren't out of the fire yet Jose," warned Trent as he saw another company of worgs approach from tangent to join in the pursuit. A volley of arrows was shot by their goblin riders but they scattered uselessly around the knight and his companions. Though goblins were fair archers, firing while mounted was a difficult task. Added to the fact, that their target was moving made such a feat even harder to accomplish. Even Trent, a trained mounted dogoon, missed roughly half his bolts and Jose doubted the goblins were better shots. Regardless of their firing discipline, the arrows did drive Kaeda away and it became a pure foot race once again.

Jose knew they only had a small window of opportunity. The brief respite bought by Kaeda might have gained them enough time to reach the town's massive walls, but after that they would need to scale them. He planned to dismiss Greenpaw once again to the aether, and hoped the sentries guarding the wall would have half a mind to throw them down a rope. The best case scenario would be that the town's defenders would deter pursuit by covering them with withering arrow fire but goblins were sometimes known to ignore their personal safety and go straight for the kill. Their casualties would be heavy, but easily replaced by the vast horde gathering outside the town.

As they neared the town, something unexpected happen. The mighty gates of the small City, the barricade that stopped even the dragon Magda, began rumbling open. Jose couldn't believe it. If the goblin's seized the gate, the town would quickly fall. It was a nice gesture, but was far too risky and threatened the safety of the entire town. Even if a few worg riders made it in, all the enemy needed to do was to stop the gate from closing for a few minutes and Essuria would be doomed.

Jose snarled at the town defenders and shot an angry look at Trent. The Halfling sergeant's fellow outriders were supposed to be in charge of the town's safety and Trent was ultimately responsible for their decisions. Trent remained silent and looked on helplessly as he sensed the town's survival now hung by a thread.

Greenpaw accelerated to the town. Jose hoped to gain entrance through the crack the defenders had opened and order them quickly to shut it. To his dismay the the gates opened wider, almost inviting the goblins to assault the town directly.

Despite being daylight, the mostly nocturnal enemy saw this tactical blunder as well. The company of worgs that was pursuing Jose was followed by the company that were briefly scattered by Kaeda, they no longer cared about the knight and sought only to end the siege quickly. The paladin guessed even if all the militia and guardsmen were manning the gate house, they could not stop such a force. A withering barrage of arrows and ballista bolts rained down on Jose's hunters and dozens fell from the first volley. Despite this, the roughly two hundred worgs and goblins were undaunted and continued their charge.

"I'm making my stand here, maybe those idiots will realize their folly and close the gate," spat Jose. Trent nodded grimly, while Pig Iron seemed preoccupied with a loose string on one of the saddle bags.

Greenpaw leaped at a large boulder, and sprang back against his pursuers. The mighty war hound crashed and rolled into them, sending dwarf , worg, and goblin tumbling to the ground. Being expert riders that were specifically trained on canine cavalry, both Jose and Trent managed to dismount and landed lightly before the collision. Trent drew his shield and short blade and viciously impaled several prone goblins and wolves. Jose had lost his holy blade during the cave in caused by the small dragon, so he drew the silver blade he salvaged off of the Githyanki mage he slew. The weapon was much longer than his regular broadsword, but seemed light and perfectly balanced. The knight easily cleaved a wide swath into the enemy and was in awe of the weapon's power. The weapon was sharp beyond belief, and due to the blade's enchantment, even small wounds seemed to quickly grow and consume their victim.

"Nice…New blade?" asked Trent during the brief respite the pair earned.

"I prefer one handed weapons and shields," shrugged Sir Jose as another wave of attackers rushed them.

As Jose and Trent desperately fought back to back, covering Pig Iron and Greenpaw as they regained their stance, the battlefield was blasted by a roar that drowned out everything in the battlefield. Even the howling wolves and worgs stopped and cringed at that sound that reverberated through the mountains. Suddenly a large pride of lions burst through the town's open gates and launched themselves at the stunned wolves and their riders. Jose immediately saw that the lions were mainly white in coloration, adorned in armor and heraldry, and more importantly ridden by knights. Jose's heart jumped as he recognized the legendary Knights of the Snow Lion , one of the major Order of Knights in the northern realms, had entered the fray.

In less than twenty seconds most of the two pursuing companies of goblins and worgs were annihilated by both the defensive wall fire, and the savage strength of the Lion Knights. Standing over the carnage, the petite leader of the knights strode confidently forwards and blew a great horn at their foe. Thousands of goblins faltered at the challenge, and for a second Jose though they would break and run. With the theatrics completed, Sir Jose and the victorious knights withdrew back into the city gates.

* * *

"Thank you …umm Lord…err Lady," offered Jose. After the dramatic sally by the Order of the Snow Lion , Sir Jose had a better opportunity to assess his rescuers. There were roughly twenty mounted Knights and Lions, and judging by the tabards of the additional soldiers on the walls, around eighty assorted squires , men at arms, and military retinue supporting them. Their leader was short and thin, and she wore an elaborate white and gold lion tabard over her cavalry armor.

"Lady Ogela, knight commander of the Snow Lion", stated the woman curtly as she took off her silver maned helmet . From her fine features and pointed ears, Jose could tell she was an elf. She was short like Kit and had very pale skin and a bob cut blond hair. Although she possessed a hint of elven beauty, her grim demeanor made her look fairly plain and oddly intimidating.

Jose knew she was quite important, and wanted to make an impression on the woman. He attempted to impress her with his simple elvish. "Sir Jose at your service, just a simple Knight of the Husky, " responded the paladin with his crude southern elven dialect followed with a respectful bow. Though Jose was far from fluent in the language, he was told by many linguists, including the Baroness Stille, that his elvish was particularly good for a human. The gesture was noted, and the knight was rewarded with a slight nod from the veteran knight.

Besides knowing their tongue, Jose possessed a surprisingly fair degree of knowledge about elves. Something he learned from his dealings with the reclusive graceful folk since his homeland of Darokin bordered the great elven nation of Alfheim. Though the elves mostly kept to themselves, there were many times in his early military career where the two nations worked together in joint operations against the orcs and other monsters in the area known as the Broken Lands. Being a naturally charismatic fellow, especially when under the influence of his beloved agave worm juice, Jose found many opportunities to converse with and learn about the fair folk.

True Elves in Grom and the other northern nations were a different matter though. Instead of organizing in larger nations and principalities like the south, the northern elves were more nomadic and pastoral. They lived in tribes or secluded villages , typically in a serene natural setting. Most people had never seen a true elf, though almost all had seen the hybrid race called half elves.

As Jose recalled his elven lore , he thought it odd that half elves were rare and considered an oddity in the south, while up north the descendants of elves and men were quite numerous and prosperous. While the few half elves in the south normally followed either the ways of their elven ancestors or the traditions of their human lineage , the half elves up north had their own unique culture; one that revolved around playing Zug ball, excessive eating and drinking, and acts of heroism and daring.

"Please, the common tongue is fine, my elvish is rusty, "stated Lady Ogela apologetically. Jose nodded and recalled that due to the many wars of the north, a great number of true elves were orphaned and actually raised by humans and had little knowledge of their racial heritage.

"I was wondering why the knights assigned to defend this town were errant, but seeing the Order you represent, it should not surprise me. The Order of the Husky has always been known to strike first and ask questions later. Sometimes their bravery has been known to get the best of them, "said Lady Ogela impassively. Though she had just wounded the pride of Jose's Order, her tone was not insulting but curiously reminiscing.

As the paladin considered all this a rare moment of gestalt struck him. "Wait…Lady Ogela, formerly of the boar which served under Lord Tusk? Then briefly a squire of the Husky which served under the great Champion Zax, before being asked to join the Lion under the banner of the Mistress of the Lion Blade? "asked Jose in reverence.

Ogela was stunned briefly by his statement , but nodded and recovered her composure quickly. "Yes, that is correct. I assume you must be one of Lord Rollo's squires or at least served under him. Rollo and I both served under Tusk before the boar lord was slain, and I'm sure he had a few tales to tell," she replied. "Is..is Rollo well?" she asked softly.

"My lord is definitely not well, but he's still kicking. He came out the losing end with a battle against a succubus a few years ago, but the old goat pulled through," laughed Jose. The paladin noticed that many of the other knight's and squire's shifted uncomfortably at the casual way he referred to his master. Since Rollo and Ogela were officially knight commanders and roughly of equal rank, Jose guessed that they were unaccustomed to such crass statements about a man with their mistress's rank.

Ogela briefly smiled at the paladin's remarks but her serious demeanor quickly returned. "We received a distress message from a Sergeant Trent , and we responded immediately. It seems, out of all the garrisons of the Freeholds, we are the only ones to do so. I was unsure of the extent of this goblin incursion, but it appears it was greater than we had anticipated."

"That would be me," piped Trent as he stepped out from behind the paladin. Jose glanced back and saw Pig Iron off to the side , seemingly engaging in a conversation with one of the massive war lions by purring and playfully rubbing his beard against their heads. Kaeda was still overhead, flying her great golden eagle in a circular pattern. Jose guessed that the reclusive woodland beauty was unused to large human settlements and reluctant to enter one.

Ogela turned towards the Halfling and saluted, "The enemies are much greater than you reported. As I stated before, we expected you amongst the defenders, not engaging the enemy on the field, beyond the safety of your walls. I consider your strategy, unsound," she stated once again in her impassive voice.

Trent nodded and rolled his eyes. " We had a theory that the enemy was being manipulated. We guessed that they desired a secret stock pile of coke that this town possesses. "

"Coke?" asked Ogela in confusion. " They were after drugs?"

"No, no , no. Not that type of coke," corrected Trent.

"My Lady, I believe the type of coke they refer to is a refined form of coal. Similar to how charcoal is from wood. It is used mainly for industrial purposes when high temperatures are needed," pointed out a young man behind Ogela. Jose noted from his infantry armor as well as the long spear and crossbow he wielded, he was most likely defending the wall. Probably a squire of some sort he guessed.

Ogela turned and silenced the young soldier with a stare. "Thank you Rasmus ",she said icily.

Trent sighed and continued his story. " Knowing that they were using coke in some sort of heavy industry, we hoped to find signs of its use and track down their main base. We did discover their location, and we were successful in destroying the forges we suspect the coke was for. "

Ogela shrugged and glanced at the few dead worgs and goblins that were taken as trophies by her knights. "Yet, the enemy is still attacking the town," she noted dryly. "As foolish as goblins and giants are, I doubt they would throw away their lives so carelessly. Even without our aid , the siege required to break this fortified town would extract a heavy toll from any attackers. If they are controlled by some sort of mastermind like you suggest, it would not be prudent to sacrifice one's pawns without an ultimate goal.

Trent shrugged and shook his head. "Yes our assumptions appear incorrect. Although we did listen in to some of our opponents, and it did appear they required the coke this town possesses or at least they were; as we were returning to town, our best guess is that their masters are now seeking something else. From this siege, I guess they believe that this town holds what they seek. "

"These dark masters, do you at least know their identity?" asked Ogela.

Jose nodded. "The Githyanki , we fought them in their forge room, and I battled a particularly powerful one earlier in a druid ring. They're kind of like skinny guys who don't like the sun, and wear clothes and armor straight from a masquerade ball," explained the knight.

"Githyanki?" asked Ogela.

Trent shrugged ,"Truth be told, even though I fought with and against them in the Great War, we know little about them except they are from the aether and wield magic."

The elven knight sighed and turned back to the squire named Rasmus. She gave him a nod , and the young man immediately smiled and stepped forward.

The squire coughed once and began reciting the lore he knew. "Githyanki are a race of plane traveling humanoid warriors that serve an ancient liche queen. They are forever engaged in wars against their cousins the Githzerai, and their former masters the mind flayers. They are skilled magicians and warriors, and are infamous for their ability to combine the two arts. They came to this dimension roughly a century ago with a massive force, where they battled the Warmaster himself. They typically ride red dragon into battles, and are known for their adamant fortresses that float on the edge of Limbo. "

Both Jose and Trent had heard this story before, but raised an eyebrow at the mention of their adamant fortresses.

Ogela however was still fascinated by Rasmus's information. "Continue my squire. Is there more?" she pressed.

Squire Rasmus rubbed his chin and searched his thoughts. He then nodded with a smile. "Oh yeah. As you know, the Astral plane is the home of all sorts of dangerous denizens. Besides their martial and magical powers, they possess keen silver great swords , often imbued with devastating magical powers; like the ability to deflect blows, permanently wound their opponents, or even head chopping. These swords are rumored to be able to cut one's astral cord, thus finishing a fight with a single swing while on that particular plane. These blades are of course greatly prized and given only to their most powerful members. It's said if they lose one, they will tear a world apart to recover it. "

Ogela reflected on this knowledge and then turned back to Trent and Jose. "Rasmus is more of a scholar than a warrior, but he has his uses. Does this information shed any light on the motivation of our foe?"

Jose grinned and drew his silver blade once again. "Oh …I have a few guesses, " he said with a grin.


	22. Chapter 22

Jose stood tall on the battlements. Sergeant Trent and Knight Commander Ogela stood as his side as they watched the goblin horde.

Jose frowned as he watched the enemy's advance. The paladin had expected another mad charge like they had attempted before, but the goblin's tactics had shifted considerably.

"Why don't they just rush in all crazy eye like ?" asked the knight as he observed the goblins. The green skin foe were busy digging long trenches and building up vast embankments of stone and dirt. Jose saw that the trenches ran crisscross on the open field before the town in a vast network dotted with earthen strong-points. They were crude structures but the knight thought they looked strong and serviceable, all the more remarkable considering the short time they were constructed in.

"Tangent trenches allowing protected advancement towards our walls. Strong points allowing them to amass and regroup ", noted Trent. " I'm going to guess they will be bringing in those clockworks the gnomes were mentioning or at least some sort of siege weapons to knock down our walls."

"Do goblins actually do this sort of stuff? I didn't think they actually built anything besides rat warrens or tunnels " remarked Jose. " That's why they always occupy somebody else ruins and sewers, since their construction skills are so crappy."

"Correct. It's obvious that your suspected masterminds are manipulating them into this behavior ", explained Ogela. "Though I wonder if the Githyanki you claim are behind this after all. If the astral warrior's wrath is indeed directed at us, I would have suspected that they use their planar travel ability to launch a quick strike instead of a protracted siege. "

Jose shrugged. " I was told that the low grade adamant ore that is scattered about these mountains, both cloud and block their planar travel. I suspect that they can still astrally project here, but it would be risky to do so. Hopping into the middle of a warzone might be too risky for even the fearless Githyanki to attempt. "

Ogela raised an eyebrow at the knight. "Your knowledge is impressive. Did Sir Rollo teach you that?"

"Nah…the local barmaid did." Commented Jose as he continued to scan the battlefield.

The elven knight seemed a bit flustered by his statement, but Trent interrupted the pair.

"The enemy will continue their sapping operations, the military term for aggressive trench digging by the way, till they can no longer safely do so. At that point they will amass their attackers and attempt to overwhelm the walls. They will most likely use a screening or diversionary force to split our defenders, but I am pretty sure they will attack the same wall that we broke them on last time. The rock underneath the town is strong , I don't think we need to fear a underground attack, but I some volunteer miners down there to make sure. Thankfully Kaeda can speak…err cat…and she's convinced Pig Iron to help them. Speaking of which, our shy little druid is watching the skies for an aerial strike. She's rested enough to not only turn into an eagle, but can summon more if the goblin's try something dumb , like bat riders or …."

"Or dragons? Can her eagles handle red dragons?" pressed Ogela.

Trent shook his head. "Possibly , depending on the number of our foes, but I consider that possibility doubtful. At best she could sacrifice herself and her feathered friends to buy us some time, " noted the Halfling sadly.

Jose felt an unexpected constriction in his throat. It seemed odd to the paladin to feel concern for the druid. He had been in many battles before, and in many instances saw allies and friends sacrificed for the greater glory. He did not think he would care that much for this druid. Since they arrived to town, she had talked rarely , and then only to Trent for orders, and oddly enough to the "blessed of Arcturus", Pig Iron. She was pretty enough to catch his eye , but Jose had no trouble finding the company of beautiful women. Perhaps it was her stubbornness and bravery to battle the Githyanki despite being both out of her element and overmatched. He also still felt some attachment to the Baroness Stille, even though she had long rejected their relationship.

Jose paused and corrected himself. No , Stille didn't reject him. He rejected her in his repeated bouts of heavy drinking, and the cruel things he sometimes said when he was drunk out of his ass. To all observers, she was a paragon of virtue, but she had her dark secrets and in an inebriated state , Jose attacked those weaknesses without respite. He callously attacked her insecurities about her demonic heritage, her memories of her deceased husband, and even her efforts to conceal her appearance, all in an angry fit of alcohol fueled jealousy. Instead of making things right with her, he basically accepted Rollo's orders to purge the Western Freeholds and left her alone, his pride getting the best out of him once again.

Jose knew that he had burned that bridge, and he could never cross it again.

"Sir Jose? Sir Jose? ", asked a nervous breaking voice that brought Jose out of his memories and back into the present..

"Yes?" inquired the paladin.

"The attack has begun. The goblins have deployed three companies on the western wall, they have what appeared to be golems with them, " stated squire Rasmus.

"So it begins , " noted Trent.

Ogela nodded in agreement. " It sounds like the feint you predicted earlier. Sergeant Trent and I will guard the eastern wall in anticipation of the main attack. We cannot commit all of our reinforcements on this diversion. Rasmus, lead Sir Jose back to the western wall and repulse the enemy."

Jose nodded and summoned Greenpaw before him. He saluted the Elven knight and the Halfling soldier before following Rasmus into battle.

* * *

"Down!" shouted Jose as he slid off his mount and took cover under the battlements. The paladin's faithful mount also did the same as the massive dog hid and playfully put his paws overhead.

A dark shadow briefly filled the sky before a barrage of rocks came crashing down where the paladin had been .

After the devastating volley, Jose stood up and fearlessly hopped on a piece of rubble, letting him peer over the wall. From his high vantage point he surveyed the area, and saw the enemy's position. Hundreds of hobgoblins and ogres were amassed ready to charge behind the crude fortification they had erected near the walls. He also saw the tops of rows of catapults had been placed into position in the trenches. Both were impossible tasks without the trenchwork the goblins had dug. The defenders would have destroyed the siege engines as well as harass the attackers long before they would have gotten into effective range otherwise.

"I can't walk!" gasped Rasmus as he clutched his leg. Jose saw that a rock had either fractured or more likely broken the young boy's leg. The paladin kneeled next to him and placed his hands on the injury then channeled his divine power into the wounded limb.

Rasmus gritted his teeth, as if expecting some great pain to course through him, but was relieved when none came. After his leg was healed, the squire nodded at him and scampered towards a lightly defended section of the wall. Jose saw he was an awkward fifteen, tall and still growing, and wondered if his youthful courage would hold up in battle.

Before his question could be answered, a great cry came up from the goblin trenches. Jose got up and saw hundreds of the enemy were initiating their assault while being screened by the barrage of the siege engines. Though he knew it wasn't the main attack, the enemy's forces were still sufficient to crush the defenders even with the protection of Essuria's great walls. The town could divert more guards and soldiers to stem the tide, but that meant the other defenses would be weakened. Jose's job was mainly to hold this section of the wall with whatever he had on hand and he was determined to do so.

With his head low to the parapets Jose spotted many clusters of guards frantically cutting and chopping any ropes or siege ladders that the attackers were using. Smoke pots were ignited and tossed along the base of the wall to obscure the guardsmen's vision. With the trenches so close to the wall, thick ranks of goblin archers rained arrows at the defenders to stymy their efforts . Thrown upwards by strong ogres, the ropes were attached with anchor like hooks and were thick and heavily knotted to assist in climbing. The ladders were simply long logs, with planks and rungs nailed to them in intervals. They were easier to chop then the heavy ropes, but depending on the angle that they landed , they also allowed particularly fast goblins to scramble up to the wall quickly.

The defenders were hard pressed but they held their positions. Several goblins did manage to scramble up the walls, but the defenders swiftly dispatched them. The goblin arrows extracted a heavy toll on the guardsmen, but the withering return fire from the supporting wall towers was even more deadly.

Jose saw an enthusiastic guard standing tall to get more leverage with his axe swings against the ladders. Jose was about to yell for the fool to stay low, just as he smashed the top of the sturdy log and sent it crashing, along with the three or four screaming goblins, to the troops below. The guard raised his fist in a cheer, but was silenced by an arrow to the throat.

Just as Jose thought the foe would be repulsed, terrible screams from one of the sturdy towers caught his attention. Through the smoke of battle, he saw the arrow slits of the far defensive tower were no longer raining death onto the attackers. The goblins also saw this and it brought a cheer and renewed vigor to the goblin horde.

The knight scowled and raced towards the fortification, with his body low and his shield up raised at his side. An arrow struck a solid blow at his shield , but the sturdy chunk of wood held firm. He had picked out the shield earlier from the town's limited armory to replace the masterwork one he lost in the cave in at the forge room. He didn't think much of his new shield at first, but it seemed to pass the test of battle.

Jose reached the tower and saw that Rasmus futilely attempting to batter the tower's wall access door open. The young squire had set his spear next to the tower as he threw himself at the door with no effect. Jose applauded the squire's assessment of the situation, but the boy was too weak to do actually do something about it.

"Stand back boy!" Jose ordered loudly. Rasmus seemed confused by the sudden order and simply paused his efforts. The knight had no time to lose, so he grasped the young man's shoulder and tossed him to the side.

"DAROS LUCHAS!" roared Sir Jose, before smashing the tower's door to flinders with his broad shoulders.

Inside the tower, the knight saw the archers inside locked in a fierce battle with about half a dozen bug bears. Jose wasn't sure how the hairy goblins gained access to the tower, but attributed it simply to their natural stealth ability. The knight drew his lion broadsword, a gift from Lady Ogela to replace the blade he lost earlier, and launched himself at the nearest invader.

Jose's first strike was precise and accurate. Though he wasn't a trained skirmisher like Kit, he took full advantage of the bug bear's preoccupation with its foe. Jose's sword sliced the monster across the it's lower back, just below the heavy breastplate of his foe. The bug bear screamed in pain, and was dispatched by a pair of blows by both the knight and the archer he was engaged with.

"That one's for you Keeta…where ever you are" , grinned Jose as he turned to face another hairy goblin. Jose spotted one to his flank and squared himself to face it, but a long spear lanced from the shattered door way and skewered the bug bear in the arm. The hairy goblin scrambled back, but Jose pounced on his wounded foe. The knight overpowered the taller bug bear with a heavy shield smash, sending his staggered enemy sprawling on its back, before slamming his blade into the prone creature's gut.

The bug bear skirmishers quickly sensed that they had lost the element of surprise. They broke off their attack and quickly scampered through a breach the size of a small hobbit hole. Jose yanked his blade out of the dead foe and struck one fleeing goblin down with a nifty unexpected backhand strike. Jose never had a chance to inspect all the fortifications, and guessed the opening was created either by the catapult rocks, or perhaps from one of Magda's earlier attacks. He watched several of the hairy goblins, squeeze and wiggle through this small hole with ease. He wondered if they were like some kind of humanoid ferret , able to squeeze and wiggle into places smaller than logic dictated that they could fit. As he considered this, Rasmus jabbed his spear into a contorting goblin. The creature shrieked in pain , even as the archers descended angrily on it and the others that had not escaped.

Jose nodded at Rasmus in respect as he turned his attention to the outside. With the archers temporarily silenced in one tower, the goblins had surged over the wall. Jose counted roughly thirty goblins and hobgoblins that had breached their defenses and he hurried back to repulse them. As he neared their position, an ear piercing shriek stopped both attackers and defenders in their tracks. A shadow was cast over the goblins, before a pair of great golden eagles swooped down and began raking the besiegers in a frenzy. The goblins panicked and quickly scattered from the giant birds. A few of them even jumped off the wall rather than face their gut ripping claws or their head pecking beaks.

The goblins below fired a volley at the great eagles, striking them squarely a few times forcing them to take flight once again, but it was too late for the goblins on the wall. Their assault was already blunted and the defenders pressed the remaining attacks back over the wall. Jose saluted the retreating birds with his blade, and smiled as he thought he saw one of them blush at him. The knight smiled and winked at the great bird before it hid its head behind its wing and flew upwards again.

"We just finished plugging that hole with whatever we can find. Errr...did you just flirt with that bird ?", asked Rasmus as he scrambled out of the tower with his spear in hand.

Jose waved away the squire and scanned the state of the assault. Despite the enemies determined efforts, the brunt of the attack was over; especially considering the archers in the tower would soon begin firing soon. The goblins were thrown into confusion and he wagered they would be swiftly retreating. Jose sheathed his lion blade and drew the heavily wrapped great sword at his back. The paladin guessed that he would not get a better chance. While he knew the enemy would be soon retreating on the western wall , the rear ranks of the goblins would not realize that their attack had been in vain. Sir Jose guessed his window of opportunity would be small, but decided now was the best time to take advantage of it.

As the goblins began their retreat, Sir Jose stood high on the parapets. The bulk of the goblin archers were already retreating or slain, so the knight had little to fear from arrow fire. While in full view of the enemy , the knight drew the great sword from the heavily wrapped sheath, and raised the silver blade high in the sky.

The blade shone through the smoke and practically radiated across the battlefield.

"GITHYANKI! Stop hiding like cowards and come fight me !" shouted Jose with a clear ringing voice.

The goblins paid no heed to the knight's challenge and continue to fight and retreat in confusion, but the sky above the main goblin army seemed to darken and flicker.

Jose smiled , Ogela and Trent's plan was working. They told him to use the blade in an attempt to draw the Githyanki into an unfavorable battle for them. Even though they suspected the offensive on the western wall was a feint, he hope to lure his foe into a dangerous crossfire. He reasoned with the enemy thrown into confusion, he could sucker a dragon rider or two into the withering arrow fire of the towers. The silver blade he carried was some sort of sacred relic for them, and the knight was willing to test how much they wanted it back.

As predicted the sky darkened and flickered as a tear in the air appeared. Jose expected a pair or maybe three dragon riders to attack. However what came out of the rift was entirely unexpected . If it weren't for his paladin training, Jose would have expected himself to be fleeing in panic. The guardsmen all froze, and even the attacking goblins and ogres were paralyzed with fright at the sight before them. Jose guessed that most if not all the goblins had no idea who pulled their strings, but even with such knowledge he suspected they would have still panicked at the sight that appeared before them.

Over the invading horde but well behind their network of trenches appeared a dark mountain. Hundreds of goblins scattered as their first instinct was that this mountain that appeared out of nowhere would simply fall and crush them, but no such thing happened. Instead of plummeting out of the sky and squishing the horde, the dark mountain simply floated above them. The sight of this impossibly giant floating rock would have shattered a normal man's mind, but Jose's warrior mind saw it for what it was. He stared at this bizarre sight, and noted what appeared to be several small castles dotting the top of it, and some defensive structures on the bottom of it. More importantly was that he saw most of these structures were crumbling or being covered in some sort of scaffolding.

Before Jose could make more observations, the massive structure flickered and was shrouded in darkness. Then in a flash it was gone.

Goblins and guardsmen alike stared at the empty sky and wondered if what they had just witnessed was an illusion of some sort. Their attention was returned when suddenly a red dragon the size of wagon swooped out of the sky and dived at Jose. A pale warrior in gaudy ornate armor was atop the beast and waved a blade identical to the one that Jose held save it was a dull iron in coloration.

"Return the blade you stole from Kazoz! ", shouted the pale rider as the dragon swooped towards the knight. Ranks of archers and crossbowmen fired their weapons at them, but the ironblade in the rider's hand seemed to swirl into a glowing shield, easily deflecting the projectiles.

The dragon launched a cone of fire at one of the towers, but the walls of the structure easily withstood the flames. Jose thought if the walls could withstand a dragon the size of Magda it could easily repulse this much smaller specimen.

The Githyanki warrior evoked some sort of spell and lightning arced into the same tower through one of the arrow slits. Jose saw multiple arrow slits light up simultaneously before the tower fell still.

The dragon hovered in the air above the knight and the Githyanki warrior mage stared down at Jose. " I Yazoz command you to surrender the sword to me! Do so and I will grant you a swift death ", the pale warrior ordered.

"Come and get it amigo," spat Jose. A bit of his south Darokin accent surfaced in the anticipation of a great battle.

Jose expected a volley of missile fire or some sort of support from the defenders, but none came. They were either dead from lightning or more likely too scared to raise a weapon against their new foe. Jose admitted that his was probably the most natural reaction for guardsmen in this situation, it was said that Grand Champion Hida Franksada would often roar into battle riding his own golden dragon, and that was often sufficient enough to cause the enemy to throw down their arms and run. Though he loved Greenpaw as a friend and a battle brother, a part of the knight wished to ride a dragon into battle, just once.

As the paladin braced for his airborne foe to rain either fire or spell on him. The ear piercing shriek of the eagles once again shattered the sky. The pair of great eagles once again plummeted down from the skies and dived at the hovering dragon. The Githyanki rider did not seem too concern by their attack though. The warrior mage waved his hand and one of the eagles seemed caught in a spectral fist. The mage then seemed to step off the dragon's back and ran through the air at his trapped foe, even as the second eagle slammed into the dragon. The pair plummeted atop the battlements while they scrapped, creating what looked like a ball of scales, fire, claws , and feathers.

The mage however was well out of Jose's reach and the knight watched powerlessly as the rider walked through the air to the held eagle and sliced the great bird's throat open with a clean sweep. The mage then turned to Jose and flicked the fresh blood from his iron blade at him.

"Kaeda!" shouted Jose as blood splattered on him. A red rage over took the knight, and he sprang into action. He calmly walked towards the remaining eagle and dragon. A few guardsmen and squire Rasmus attempted to help the dragon, but were wary to enter the dragon's range. A particularly slow man at arms attempted to lunge and score a blow on the dragon, but the beast's tail lashed out and sent him flying over the wall. Jose however simply grabbed Rasmus's spear while still holding the silver blade with his other hand. He watched the tail lunge at him as he closed in, but instead of being slammed like the previous guard, he pierced the appendage with the spear and pinned it to the battlement.

The dragon appeared to have the upper hand against the eagle, and glanced menacingly at its new attacker. Jose simply plunged the great silver blade at the creature's mouth, pinning its lower jaw to the roof of its snout. The dragon released the eagle and turned its attention to Jose. It raked one of its claws across the paladin's chest, shredding even his knightly armor in the process. Jose ignored the wound, and channeled a wave of divine energy through the haft and then through the blade of the weapon. Though the wound the blade caused was beginning to fester, the divine energy Jose sent through it bathed the beast's head briefly in a halo of white light. The dragon looked stunned for a second, before its head exploded in a burst of divine fury.

A cheer came from the towers as the knight's victory snapped them out of their fear. Jose would normally take the opportunity to bask in their glory, but he grabbed the wounded eagle and flipped it upright. He then hopped onto its back, and cruely grabbed the feather's on the creature head and twisted it back; painfully yanking the eagle's head till it stared at the still floating Githyanki warrior.

"Fly!" barked Jose and the great bird fearfully complied.

The Githyanki warrior did not seem too concern about his steed's passing though. It simply smiled at the challenge approaching him, and unleashed another bolt of lightning .

Jose braced for the worse, but the lightning struck him and passed harmlessly around him. Jose wasn't sure why but saw that the Githyanki warrior had not expected this as well. As the eagle closed to its target, Jose saw the mage's skin had turned into greyish stone. Before he could cast another spell though, Jose swung the silver blade with all his might at the mage. Jose wasn't a mage, but he recognized the spell his opponent had cast, stone skin. It rendered the wizard nearly immune to ordinary weapons, but it meant little to the vengeful knight. He drained the last of his divine energy into his sword , causing it to rip and sunder through any defensive conjurations the Githyanki had enchanted.

"DAROS LUCHA!" shouted the knight as he sliced his foe's arm off. The grey colored mage looked in shock, but managed to hold onto the blade. He stared hatefully at Jose even as he began to fade out of existence. Before his escape was complete though, the eagle grasped the mage's stomach with its claw and attempted to tear a great chunk of flesh out of it. The mage's spells managed to ward the eagle's attack, but the bird managed to slow the Githyanki's escape for a few seconds. That was all Jose needed as he smashed his silver blade's pommel onto the top of the mage's head, knocking him out and sending him crashing into the ground.

That of course was enough for any goblin or ogre that saw the battle. They didn't know who their allies were, but just saw the knight slay a dragon and defeat its rider. Their ranks broke and they fled the western wall , abandoning their trenches and siege engines in the process. Another cheer broke out from the guardsman as they fired their bows at the retreating horde.

The spectral handing holding the slain eagle vanished as swiftly as the goblins fled and the held bird fell unceremoniously to the courtyard below. Jose's eagle flew at it, but Jose leaped off his makeshift mount before the bird could even land. The knight ran to the eagle and kneeled at its side, but immediately saw it was beyond his help.

"I'm sorry Kaeda. I should have put my foot down , and never involved you in this battle", whispered Jose as he sadly shook his head. "Beauty like yours is rare, and shouldn't be wasted in battle," declared the knight as he gently stroked the bloody eagle's feathers.

A thin hand grasped Jose's gauntleted fist and placed it to his side. Jose looked in shock as he saw the druid beside him. The lovely druid looked battered and beaten, but was still curiously dressed in the body hugging flowery dress that Maid had given her. Jose thought it odd that she could retain her clothing, since every time Kit transformed her gear and sometimes her clothes would fall to the ground.

"He was a brave eagle, but this was his territory and he had every right to fight and die for it, " spoke Kaeda sadly as Jose realized his error. He turned red under his helmet and he wondered how much the druid had heard if anything .

" After watching the mage electrify the tower, I shielded us from lightning as we approached," Kaeda explained. "I did not think you would best him so quickly."

Jose nodded but didn't say a word. He looked into Kaeda's eyes and stared into them. He saw the grief of her companion's death , and also a deep lonely sadness that he had not detected before. Despite her loss, he also saw the stubborn bravery that caused her to leap into the fray and wrestle a dragon. Jose's situation wasn't all that different, he had spurned Stille's love and had recently lost his dearest Kit, someone he considered more than just a henchmen or friend but more as a daughter. He drew close to the druid and was about to kiss her in the heat of the moment, but was interrupted when Rasmus shouted down to the courtyard.

"The main attack on the eastern wall has already begun! They're throwing everything at them! ", Rasmus shouted as he made his wall along the walls to the new battle.

Jose scowled and sheathed the silver blade and strapped it on his back. He readied his shield and lion blade and since he was off of the wall, he scanned for the quickest way to the eastern wall . He wasn't the greatest at spatial relationships and often relied on Kit or Greenpaw to prevent him from getting lost. He didn't want to summon his War Husky again, preferring to use him in battle rather than for transporation, and began to run towards what he thought the main square of the village to find his bearings to the eastern wall.

Kaeda grabbed his arm however, and the knight stopped.

"I can fly us there," she offered timidly. "Just lay off on the hair pulling this time ok?" she added with a smile as she transformed once again into a great golden eagle.


	23. Chapter 23

Riding the eagle Kaeda, Sir Jose surveyed the battle while soaring through the sky. A few bursts of arcane fire erupted in the enemy's ranks, but Jose suspected the defender's magical reserves were near depleted. The defender's appeared strained to the limit, as the goblin and bugbear skirmishers could be seen throughout the small city engaging in minor battles along the wall. While most of the townsfolk were already evacuated, a stubborn few remained. Small fires were burning throughout the town, a harbinger of the destruction that was to come.

While the attack on the western wall was quite sizeable the attack on the eastern wall was epic in scope. Jose, Ogela, and even Trent badly misjudged the numbers of invaders that had amassed under their hidden master's banner. Goblins from over two dozen tribes, hobgoblins of the Jinyo Khanate, and more clans of bugbears then Jose could recall were swarming the shattered walls.

Several large bats and other fallen winged beasts harassed the stalwart militia, and Kaeda immediately set upon them. Though the bats had great wingspans they were closer to the size of large dogs and the great golden eagle easily shredded them with its razor sharp claws. Jose stabbed one cleanly with a lance he retrieved from his magical pack, but Kaeda scattered the rest of the aerial attackers easily even without his help. As the pair flew closer to the wall, the knight noticed the corpse of a red dragon similar to the one they had fought recently , broken on the battlements. Jose nodded to the bravery of the few remaining defenders that were still fighting on the walls.

Several hundred giants had destroyed the great barrier. They ranged from the dumb and stupid ogres, to wild misshapen formorians, brawny hill and stone giants, and even the warlike frost giants. Jose didn't even realize there were so many giants in the Western Freeholds, and suspected some came from the Ice Reach Mountains or even from the distant Plateau of Denagoth. Where dragon fire and claws had failed earlier, the giant's limitless strength and numbers managed to tear down Essuria's great walls. The massive humanoids literally ripped the wall down brick by brick with specialized hammer and picks, weathering the massed archers and crossbowmen that Trent had strategically placed along the battlements and towers. Though scores of the horde of giants fell from the defenders, they eventually succeeded in breaching the wall and allowing the angry goblin army to begin pouring in.

While most of the enemy's aerial support was gone, the brunt of the goblin army still poured through the breach undaunted, supported by the depleted and wounded giants. Jose thought they would sweep through the remaining defenders, but the stalwart Halfling Sergeant had already prepared a rough barricade to form a second line of defense, allowing the overwhelmed bowmen a refuge to retreat to. Ogela's knights and retinue were entrenched with long lances and kept the enemy at bay despite their foe's superior numbers. The goblin's crashed into the barrier like the tide, but the hardened warriors of the north held firm. Jose spotted Ogela spinning her holy blade effortlessly through the goblins, while Pig Iron was hacking manically at them with his golden sword, the pair desperately holding the line.

Despite the lopsided nature of the battle, Sir Jose saw the battle as a finely balanced stalemate. Would the mounting casualties suffered by the goblin horde break their morale before the defenders would be overwhelmed? It was classic battlefield stratagem taught to him by his master, Lord Rollo, and Jose knew exactly how to tip the battle in their favor.

The knight spotted a cluster of banners and drummers near the front ranks of the enemy. He assumed it was some form of command group, and patted Kaeda to fly towards them. The druid was hesitant to fly so close to the enemy at first, but Jose yanked her feathers harshly to emphasise his point. Obeying the knight's order the Great Eagle dived at the indicated group, breaking its descent at the last moment in a flurry of wings and talons.

"Keep flying, help Trent and the others," ordered Jose as he then unexpectedly jumped from the eagle's back. Kaeda hesitated again, but then flew as commanded towards the secondary line of defenses.

The knight felt his skin hardened into bark , as he landed with a thunderous crash on top of a hobgoblin. A final blessing by the druid he guessed. The fall wasn't that high, but Jose's heavy armor was enough force to snap the creature's back when he connected. The knight then drew his great silver blade and began cleaving wide arcs through the goblins.

"Bree yark this you green scum! "Taunted the now green knight at his foes.

While most of his strokes were far from killing blows, even the slightest wounds from the silver sword seemed to fester and grow. The goblins backed off and appeared on the verge of breaking but a slow hand clap stopped the retreat.

"Well done, and with such a flair for the dramatic," noted a familiar voice.

Jose turned towards the sound but did not see anyone but goblins. He recognized the voice though, and knew immediately who his enemy was.

"Come out Gregor. I know you're hiding invisible. Are you that big of a coward that you have to go unseen even with several thousand goblins at your side, or are you too ashamed to show your face after you sold out your town? "Sneered Jose as he hacked another goblin apart.

"The Githyanki and I for that matter ,care nothing for Essuria, now that you've ruined their forges," laughed Gregor . Jose tried to focus on where the magician was but the battle din drowned out any chance he could pin point his location. " However…I see you possess the sword they are now looking for. Surrender the blade to me, and this will be all over."

"Oh ,this thing? You want it…come and get it! ", challenged the green knight.

While Jose knew the sword was what was driving the enemy , he suspected the goblins could care less about it. Even with their goal in their midst, they made little attempt to overwhelm him and seize the blade. Instead, they looked more concern about breaching the last line of defense and engage in the pillaging and looting of Essuria. Jose suspected that the goblins were oblivious to the Githyanki's true goals, and that even if he surrendered the blade they would not abate from their assault.

"Oh I knew it would come to this. I've already unleashed many demons today , but I have one more ..ace… up my sleave, " sighed the invisible magician.

Glowing crimson lines appeared on the ground, and the area was bathed in a sickening orange glow. The goblins fell silent as strangely familiar obsidian skinned warrior, roughly seven feet in height, armored in demonic armor, and wielding a greatsword that seemed crafted by some form of blasphemous organic material, rose from the circle. Wisps of smoke escaped the handsome dark warrior's armor as a terrible malevolent aura radiated from him.

"Come Malleus of Zeletar, I summon you to do battle with this gnat ! " shouted Gregor.

Jose still wasn't sure about where Gregor was, but the shouting of the former mayor and the cowed goblins narrowed his position. The knight slashed blindly with his blade and was rewarded with a pained yelp and a streak of blood.

"Agghh….it burns!" shouted a voice even as it trailed away through the massed goblins.

Jose considered pressing towards the wounded magician, but a dark greatsword barred his path.

"By Grazzt ! My patience has been rewarded. Once again I am given the opportunity to settle our accounts once and for all , knight of the north! " stated the demonic warrior.

Jose looked at the dark skinned warrior in confusion. "Errr...who are you again? I was banging my head since the last time we met, and I still can't recall who you are," puzzled the knight. "Like seriously, do I owe you money? I thought that was more of a devil thing. Besides you being a demon of some sort I have no real quarrel with you. Actually, I really don't have anything against demons, except the shit they do . I like to think of myself as being able to judge one by their deeds rather than their race. I even dated a half demon for a stretch if you can believe that."

"ENOUGH of your trivial banter!" roared Malleus as he swung his greatsword in an overhead arc at Jose. The knight committed his blade to block the weapon, but changed to a side parry once he realized it was a feint. The abyssal steel and the Astral silver rang out in a hollow clang , and neither warrior gave ground.

"Ah…your skill with the blade has reminded me why I thirst to defeat you in melee combat. Very few can match my skill in battle," congratulated the demon as he took a step back to appraise the knight.

As the two retreated a goblin broke rank and rushed the knight with a spear. Jose easily saw the clumsy attack and was prepared to simply kick it out of the way, but Malleus impaled the small humanoid with his blade instead.

"The knight is mine! " roared the demon as he threw the broken body of the goblin off of his blade . The remaining goblins backed off and decided to respect Malleus's request for a duel. Jose watched helplessly as the ranks of the invading army gave the pair a wide berth and continued their assault against the town.

Jose then knew that matching blades with this demon was inevitable. He would have to defeat it if he was going to rejoin the fray. With his goal in mind, the knight lashed out with a low slash hoping to clip his opponent in the leg.

The demonic warrior saw this crude attack and easily blocked the blow with his blade even as he counter attacked with a short thrust that Jose narrowly dodged.

"Your weapon has improved, but your skills with it are not quite as graceful as your ability with broadsword and kite shield," noted the demon calmly as he stepped forwards and slammed his shoulder into Jose.

While Jose was considered very strong, the demon's strength was irresistible. The knight staggered back from the blow and barely managed to keep his balance from the attack. Before Jose could recover, Malleus unleashed a wide slash that landed a blow on the knight's upper leg. Jose felt unholy fire burn his leg, but was surprised when it didn't draw blood. The demon seemed surprised as well and hesitated, allowing Jose to return a series of quick chops that forced it back.

The demon quickly retreated and held his blade in a guard position. He stared at the bloodless wound and frowned. "Oh..bark skin? How disappointingly provincial. We don't encounter much druidic magic in the Bloodwars but it's widely regarded as second rate divine magic, "sniffed Malleus.

Jose nodded. "I shared that opinion for the longest time as well, but it has surprised me recently. It's actually quite an attractive alternative, "grinned Jose. He knew he had to end the battle quick and that called for desperate measures. Before his opponent could make another quip, the knight lunged at him with his blade.

Malleus easily parried the blow, but Jose released his sword and caught the demon in a hug across the waist. Though the demon was bigger and stronger than Jose , the force of the charge lifted him off his feet and sent him crashing on its back. Jose was ready to slam his knee into the demon's neck, but was surprised when his foe twisted his feet and locked the knight's leg causing him to crash into the ground as well.

Jose scrambled to his feet, but a heavy slam across the face stunned him. Through his blurred vision he saw the dark skinned warrior wind up for another punch, but the knight ducked under the blow and unleashed and armored elbow into his opponent's stomach. The demon doubled over momentarily, and Jose simply pushed it forwards to send it crashing back into the ground.

"Go get his sword you idiots! …..the wound still bleeds…." cried Gregor's voice far away.

"No…big demon warrior tell us not to. Say will keel us ", blubbered a goblin voice.

The knight was still fazed from the punch he took earlier and was slow to take advantage of his prone opponent. Before he could seize it in choke or a lock, his foe had already risen from the ground. Jose took the opportunity to scramble to his dropped weapon and retrieve it.

"Your swordsmanship is excellent, but your unarmed skills is what I wish to test myself against. Let us finish this fight by testing only our strength and wills. Let us see who desires victory the most, "stated Malleus.

Jose saw the demon must have dropped his blade when he was initially knocked to the ground. The black sword was closer to himself than his foe, but there was something about this challenge that struck a chord with the knight. He was already hopelessly surrounded and would have been swarmed if the demon did not wish for a 'fair' fight. Despite his declaration of respecting demons earlier , the knight knew they were not to be trusted. Regardless of what his common sense told him, Jose nodded and then sheathed the silver sword before tossing it aside atop the black sword.

"Hey, it's your funeral big guy," grinned the knight as he cracked his neck muscles in anticipation.

"Excellent!" laughed the demon as he crouched with his hands outstretched in front of him. Jose responded by extending his own hands and clasping the demons, and beginning their test of strength.

"Dear gods…..someone grab that sword while those two fools are …dancing or whatever they are doing", complained Gregor shrilly.

The goblins' fear of the black warrior appeared greater than that of Gregor and none did as the magician asked . The one's that weren't streaming towards the breach stood still as they were enraptured by the two warriors.

Jose knew that his enemy had both leverage and strength in his favor, and that eventually he would be ground to dirt if he matched muscles against him. However, the knight learnt long ago that a quick burst of power could give him a brief advantage. Summoning all his anger and pain, the knight surged upwards catching the demon by surprise. Malleus was unprepared by the eruption of power and faltered, even as the knight shifted his strength and threw his opponent easily to the side.

Jose knew his foe was far from finished and prepared to land a full splash on the demon. It was a dangerous move called the froghemoth splash in North Darokin, but the knight was certain it would end the battle quickly. Before he initiated the attack though, the sound of Sergeant Trent's war horn blaring in the distance gave him pause.

"BREE YARK!" roared the goblins as they surged forward with renew vigor.

Jose stopped and saw that the secondary barricade had fallen , and the Halfling was sounding the retreat. Jose knew that was it for the town, some of the survivors could hole up in the Keep or in the mines but the remainder of the defenders would be cut down as they fled. He despaired as the full weight of this defeat bore down on his shoulders. So many people had depended on him and he failed.

Just as the goblins surged forwards to attack, the battle field was covered by a massive shadow. For a brief instant Jose thought the flying mountain had returned, but instead it was the form of a massive red dragon with a golden red mane of hair. Jose was confused to say the least. If the enemy had such a beast at their command, why would they wait till now till unleash it? If it was some elite force held in reserve, even the most simple of tacticians would have committed it when the giants breached the main wall.

Instead of cheers from the goblins, the dragon was met with laughter….and jeers.

Watching in confusion the knight stopped his attack and even offered a hand to Malleus. The black skinned warrior was equally confused. The demon reluctantly took the hand and was hefted up to watch the bizarre spectacle unfolding before them.

"Why are the goblins all laughing at the red dragon? I may come from the abyss, but even we know to respect dragons, especially a specimen that size," asked Malleus as he dusted his armor off.

Jose shrugged, but a goblin nearest the abyssal warrior replied. " Human's scared us off the first time with fake red dragon, us not dummies. There's a saying in Goblin Town that says, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice - you can't get fooled again," smiled the goblin smugly.

"It's Magda! Run!" screamed Gregor's voice as it trailed off even further into the distance.

"Ohh…its Magda!" mimicked a few goblins which ran in amusing figure eights while cackling manically and skipping in glee.

Jose looked at the great red beast, and thought it looked a lot more realistic than the tarp creation they had erected before. "Err…that sure looks real to me ," he whispered under the roaring laughter of the goblin and giant horde.

As one they ignored the great beast and continued their charge. Even when the massive creature landed before them the horde did not seem fazed and streamed onwards in a tight pack.

"FLEE WORMS! I MAGDA HAVE ARRIVED!" screeched the dragon in an ear piercing shriek that shook the crumbling walls of the city.

The goblins paused and they laughed and cackled again. Some of the larger goblins even fell to the ground, rolling in mirth at the dragon before them.

"Hey look I'm Dalton the Red!"

"Ooh…I'm the mighty Smaug!"

"Call me Chrysolofax!"

"Look at me..look at me…I'm Brazzelmel the Bright!", laughed the goblins as they listed off famous dragons of legend.

A second later the entire area from the breached barricade to the sundered wall exploded in white hot flame, and a heart wrenching aura of fear.

Though Jose stood roughly two hundred feet from the shattered line, he could feel the heat from the dragon's flame as it incinerated the tightly packed goblins and giants. An inferno poured out of the dragon's maw and mercilessly vaporized all before it. While an irresistible dragon aura spread panic to the few survivors. Jose was mesmerized at the destructive power of the creature before him, and wondered how he could overcome this new threat.

"It's Magda…the real Magda. She's returned to lay waste to the town. She let the goblins do her dirty work and now she will plunder Essuria and kill all within her walls. " stated Jose blankly as he stared at the dragon. While he defeated her last time, the odds during that battle was decidedly in his favor. The dragon had expended much of her might against the town already, while his group was fresh and ready for battle. He doubt they would be so luck this time as their defenses were now shattered and most were exhausted from the fierce siege.

"It seems our battle is at end," smiled Malleus. The obsidian warrior motioned for his blade which flew to his hand. "If you somehow survive this, I look forward to our next battle," grinned the dark warrior as he began to fade away.

"Yeah…yeah whatever," grumbled Jose as he scrambled to grab his silver blade. Though hundreds of goblins were running directly at him, they gave the big knight a wide berth as he charged in the opposite direction towards the dragon.

As Jose approached he saw the great beast had only one good eye left, a reminder of the last time they met, but it glared at him balefully with its piercing gaze. The great dragon pounced towards Jose , trampling dozens of charred skeletons in its path. The knight drew his blade and readied himself for the worst, but instead found his foe had stopped and now towered meancingly before him.

"Oh hey ..Sir Jose! Sir Jose!", shouted a familiar high pitched voice.

"Keeta?" asked the knight as he stared at the diminutive form of his squire sitting high atop the beast's neck.

"Look who I rescued from the Githyanki dungeon!" waved a beaming Kit.


	24. Chapter 24

Kit beamed a smile at her lord as she towered above him on while balancing effortlessly on the serpentine neck of Madeline. From her vantage point she saw some of the allure of being a mounted knight, the feeling of power and the prestige of being the tallest person on the battlefield. The young squire felt justifiably proud, since she not only escaped the goblin fortress and freed the sorceress, but broke the siege on Essuria as well.

Maid on the other hand was not her normally calm and cool self, and promptly hopped off the dragon at first opportunity. She did a simple flip to break her fall and quickly scrambled out of sight behind some rubble after she landed. Kit wasn't sure why the innkeeper was so skittish around Madeline but guess it was just her natural mistrust of magic. Most people who could not perform magic were naturally afraid of it. Kit noted her own unease when Madeline changed into a dragon, even though Maid did not seemed surprised at the change. The young squire warmed up to Madeline's new form however, while the innkeeper kept a very visible wariness of their new companion.

Kit wasn't sure why her friend was so cautious around Madeline. After all, Kaeda the druid could shape change into an eagle and who knows what else, and Maid had no problem with that. Why should Madeline the sorceress changing into a dragon panic the level headed Innkeeper so much?

As she stared down at Sir Jose, Kit noticed that her lord shared Maid's wariness. "Get clear Keeta! NOW!" He ordered while brandishing what appeared to be the silver blade he took as a trophy earlier.

Kit shrugged ."I know Madeline looks scary….but she's just shapedchanged. Pretty cool huh?"

"Madie who? That's Magda you idiot! ", shouted Jose, disregarding her statement.

Kit laughed at her lord. He was normally pretty sharp eyed at recognizing illusions or alteration magics , and she thought it funny that he would be fooled so easily by Madeline's polymorph spell. It was bad enough that Jose thought Madeline was a real dragon, but Kit found it particularly humorous that he thought the sorceress was actually Magda…the Magda…the terrible dragon that laid siege to the town when they first arrived at Essuria. It was a ridiculous notion of course. If anything it was just a compliment to the sorceress's skill. Not only did she get the correct size, scale color, and even the golden red hair of the beast, but she also managed to replicate the ruined eye that Jose himself inflicted. All the better to fool the goblins, though the effort was wasted since the enemy did not seem panicked at her painstakingly accurate dragon facsimile . In fact her form seemed to spur the goblins on even as she fireballed them with devastating effect at point blank range.

Madeline seemed to share in Kit's amusement as well. She outstretched her massive wings, to show off all her shape changed glory, and craned her neck towards Sir Jose. Kit noted that the sorceress was a respectful distance outside of the knight's sword range, and she even playfully snorted a cloud of smoke towards her master.

"Get clear Keeta!" repeated Sir Jose once again, with his blade overhead in guard position.

"He's right Kit. She's helped us so far but she can't be trusted in the end. Hop off now before she betrays you or use you as leverage," shouted Maid in agreement.

Kit rolled her eyes. "Aww …that's cute. Look at you guys get all scared over Madeline here. She just saved you all and now you guys are acting as terrified as the fleeing goblins. " To accent her point, a terrified scream sounded in the background.

The great dragon seemed to revel in the fear and terror that surrounded her. "I've destroyed your enemies and saved your miserable collection of mud huts," roared Madeline. "…and now you treat me like a common….wandering monster?"

"Trading one conqueror for another, does not evoke feelings of being grateful," snorted Jose as he took a few steps forward. Kit saw Pig Iron was far off to the knight's right side advancing cautiously while a short slim figure in silvery armor was steadily approaching on his left. Kit guessed the armored person was an elf , but could not tell his or her gender. If the elf did prove to be a female , Kit wondered in amusement if Maid was going to clothe her up in one her dresses as well.

"Do not assume to threaten to me. Your troops are depleted, and your walls are shattered. As you can see, the spells that protected you before are also stripped. I can fly in and out as I please now," the dragon grinned menacingly. "I still owe you for my eye….", she growled.

Kit slid down Madeline's neck and interposed herself between the knight and the dragon. "Whoa…whoa…whoa….let's not get out of hand here," she pleaded to Sir Jose. "Look, this is Madeline, I found her in the dungeon . She's was a sorceress imprisoned by those Gith guys . They took her kids. She is helping us because I promised to help rescue them. " She then turned to the dragon ." ..and this is my lord. He's a bit head strong and brash, but he's just protecting the town. He's kind of an act first think later kind of guy. If anyone can return your children, its him. "

Jose paused and then gave Kit a puzzled look. "Keeta, you do realize who that is right? Or did she put you under a spell?"

The dragon reared its head back slightly ,as if Jose's words wounded her. "Please….do not be so crass. I am the draconic embodiment of destruction; I leave enchantment magic to weakling metallic dragons and of course those sly greens. "

Kit stopped and turned to Madeline . "Wait….you're a real dragon? ….you're the real Magda?" she asked in a small voice.

Magda nodded," I am known by many names. To the northmen I am Magda the Firewitch….To the Grommers I am Madeline Cruelhoard, to the dwarves I am Mzanryn , in my own tongue I am Mkyraxussthoonhoth. Whatever language you choose, I am power, I am the consuming inferno, I am vengeance incarnate! " she boasted loudly with a thunderous voice. The entire village seemed to shake from her declaration as the dragon crushed the pavement it stood on with its massive black claws.

The sudden realization of who Madeline was , triggered the crushing waves of terror that had previously flowed past her. "Eeeeep….." , squeaked Kit as she almost fainted from the knowledge.

"Wow…..you're as thick headed as a certain water fetching friend I grew up with," was the last thing Kit heard before she blacked out.

* * *

Kit sat glumly on the end of the makeshift table with Pig Iron , Kaeda, and some young blonde youth. The squire thought she had earned the right to sit at the other table with Magda, in her human form, Lady Ogela, Sergeant Trent and of course Sir Jose. Kit thought it wasn't fair they divided the seating arrangements based on perceived importance. To her it felt like she was sitting at the kids table while the adults were chatting.

Maid on the other hand did not see the slight, and was happy that they were using her Tavern as a makeshift headquarters. Most of the rooms in the Keep were already packed with refugees and wounded, and her Inn was one of the few buildings that was large enough to hold the meeting and was still relatively undamaged.

"Cheer up Kit, at least they didn't' start brawling when you blacked out," smiled the Innkeeper as she served drinks to their table. Maid placed a saucer of milk in front of the dwarf which happily began lapping it up, while the rest she gave frothy pints of beer. Kit saw that Kaeda eyed the beverage suspiciously before sipping it experimentally, while the youth at the table ignored the drink and seemed intent on casting glances at her. He also had the annoying habit of looking away whenever Kit caught him staring.

"Yeah it's a miracle they didn't begin to fight. Magda and Sir Jose have history you know," explained Kit as she left her beer untouched. She didn't particularly like the taste of alcohol and was too wound up currently to sample it.

"Luckily the lady Maid explained Magda's situation with her children. Apparently her desire to see her eggs returned to her outweighed her insatiable lust for violence", commented the youth. Kit frowned at him. Who the hell was he, and why was he sitting at their table? Also why was he constantly casting glances at her, was he some type of paladin or something; confirming her 'evil' aura with his sight.

Kit was about to let her displeasure known, but was interrupted by a red faced Kaeda. "I feel horrible. I didn't realize she was trying to recover her eggs, else I wouldn't have attacked her with my eagles. It makes sense now I guess. The Githyanki are always in need of more dragon mounts, and had Gregor procure her eggs. I guess he stashed them with the coke and other supplies he was gathering for them, but they were moved before his plans were revealed. " Kit looked at the flustered druid , and some of her distrust for her drained away. The squire could forgive her for her big breasts, soft curves, perfect skin, and fluffy light brown hair, when she realized Kaeda was just trying to do the right thing. However , she could not forgive her , and Magda for that matter, for their ability to not rip their clothes apart when they shape changed. It seemed so unfair to Kit, that as a natural shapechanger she had to pick up her clothes and armor every time she did a radical change, while those two could shift freely while keeping their clothes intact.

Pig Iron wiggled his ruddy nose at Kaeda before hopping along the ground to chase a mouse. "Thank you Blessed of Arcturus, I realize none of us knew the exact situation and I am not to blame for my actions ", nodded the druid to the dwarf, oblivious to Kit's reservations about her.

The blonde youth raised a confused eyebrow and stared at the scampering dwarf, while Maid simply shrugged her shoulders. "Cheer up Kaeda, knowing the temperament of dragons, especially Red Dragons; Magda might have attacked the town anyways just for spite. We're just lucky Kit here had befriended her and offered to help retrieve her 'children'. If it wasn't for her, we would be either goblin food or dragon chow by now ", smiled Maid as she affectionately hugged the squire.

"How did you manage to earn the dragon's trust , if you don't mind me asking? " inquired the blonde youth with a smile. Once again Kit caught him staring at her with his vision and she felt her anger rise.

"Oh its easy….you know us evil creatures have a special code we use to communicate. We just speak evilesse to other members of team bad guy and we're all buddy buddy after that," spat Kit sarcastically.

The youth seemed to be taken back by the Kit's rant and shrank back into his chair.

"Now , now Kit. No need to make fun of Rasmus here. He's a squire just like you , at least show him some professional courtesy. Besides , no one uses alignment tongue since the first Age. That went out with racial professional limits and when the most powerful wizards of the land did not live by the coast," winked Maid cryptically. The innkeeper then turned to the youth and explained. " When the gnomes or goblins caught her, they thought she was a druid." She then paused and looked at Maid and then sadly shook her head. " I am guessing they had hunted down and presumably killed many mountain druids recently , and thought both Magda and Kit here to be one of their members. They placed special bonds around their neck that both inhibit their magic and locked them in their current forms; presumably for questioning later. Despite her power, Magda was weakened when they subdued her and was powerless under the lock of the collar. I guess she felt she owed some debt to Kit here for freeing her. She was lucky they did not realize her true nature, else her fate would have already been sealed."

Kaeda nodded sadly. The innkeeper's explanation seemed consistent with the systematic disappearance of the members of her circle. They were the guardians of these mountains, and the Githyanki systematically eliminated them so they can work their dark deeds unchallenged.

"Current form?" asked Rasmus as he stared at Kit again.

Kit fumed and considered stepping over and slapping the smug out of the youth's handsome face, but she was too preoccupied with her thoughts. Maid was right, by all rights Madeline or Magda should be battling Sir Jose, were it not for her desire to recover her eggs/children. For all her terrible power, Magda was a woman and a mother first. She could put her aside her differences, albeit it temporarily, simply for the love her brood. Kit could understand this, since she considered herself well versed in love`s intricacies.

Maid cast a glance at the seemingly daydreaming Kit and then nodded. "I meant that they thought Kit was a druid," she explained when the squire left Rasmus's question go unaswered. She also flashed a mischievous smile when she caught a glimpse of the object of attention of the blonde youth`s stare.

Kit wasn't sure what the smile was for and waved her friend's comment away dismissively. "So…what do you think they are strategizing at the other table? Something too important for us I guess, " she finally sniffed. Kit was tempted to shift her ears, but felt uncomfortable doing so with Rasmus at the table. She didn't mind revealing her form to her close friends and allies, but something about the youth's presence made her uncomfortable. Perhaps it was him judging her with his paladin vision , or maybe it was his perfect blonde hair….

Kaeda sighed and wiggled her own ears. "They are discussing their next course of action. During the battle, one of the Githyanki's astral fortresses revealed itself. I caught a glimpse of it, and it was a terrible sight. It looked like a floating fortress the size of a small mountain. Apparently it was still under repair, and I assume that since we survived the battle, that it wasn't ready for battle yet. Magda wants her children back , which the Githyanki presumably have, while Sir Jose is determined to strike at the Githyanki before they can exact repairs on their fort. Their goals are similar and they have struck a temporary alliance. Currently they are discussing the evacuation of the town."

"Wait….so from what I understand; we've only dealt with the minions of the Githyanki so far. They want to take on the head bad guys especially after finding out they have a mountain sized flying castle at their disposal? ", asked Kit. "Which I guess is guarded by even more of those pale warrior mages , and small red dragons."

"Yes that is a correct assessment. The fortress is most likely adamant as well, which explains why they are in the Western Freeholds. This remote location is one of the few areas that contains enough adamant to repair it . Also , since Sir Jose has one of their silver swords, they will redouble their efforts to reclaim that weapon," noted Rasmus.

Kaeda nodded at his take on the situation. " Sergeant Trent and Lady Ogela share your opinion as well Kit. They think it's beyond our ability to deal with currently, and we need to wait for support from either Leeha, Grom, or the Northern Orders. Trent is saying something about these Githyanki being terrible astral raiders that leave worlds razed in their wake. "

As the druid relayed her eavesdropping, Pig Iron suddenly hopped back to the table, with what appeared to be a mouse tail in his teeth. The dwarf noticed the appendage and quickly slurped it up.

Maid and Rasmus seemed mortified by the act, while Kaeda simply smiled. "Truly the blessed of Arcturus is a great hunter," cheered the druid.

Kit rolled her eyes. "Great…we're up against apocalypse astral raiders from hell, while we have a mouse eating dwarf on our side."


	25. Chapter 25

"Sir Jose! Please silence your squire!" demanded Lady Ogela. The chamber that Maid designated as the Conference room in the Dragonslayer's tavern shook at the elf's clearing resounding voice. Sir Jose and Sergeant Trent both stood stiffly before the elf.

Kit's brow furrowed as she stared directly into the eyes of the elven knight commander. Even though she commanded a hundred warriors and held the highest ranking title in Essuria , Ogela was not very tall in stature. In fact she and Kit were approximately equal in height. Despite the fact the knight wore the finest silver armor and was a veteran of hundreds of battles, Kit was not all intimidated by her presence. She thought her swift kukri combat style was more than a match for her rigid sword and board style. She stood up to the elf defiantly and refused to budge from her point.

"Keeta…..at ease," said Sir Jose in a loud and firm voice.

Kit's resolve faded at his order. She turned around and faced her lord. " But…but…I promised. You were the one that told me about honor, and the first thing you taught me was keeping your word. I …gave my word to Madeline..to Magda…I have to help her recover her children," pleaded Kit to Jose. She looked at her lord and saw that he sided with Ogela. She could not believe the turn of events and her heart dropped.

"KEETA!" repeated Jose again, silencing any further protest from his squire.

Ogela shook her head at the pair," Sir Jose. The behavior of your squire is reprehensible. I suggest she takes lessons about obedience and humility from Rasmus here," she stated while pointing to her own squire. Rasmus stood straight at the mention of his name, but shifted uncomfortably when her gaze fell off him. Kit caught the youth staring at her again and she seethed in anger. How dare he judge her with his paladin vision? What did that boot licking toady know about honor? To Kit, the youth looked like he grew up in relative luxury, and most likely was a squire due to his father's money and rank. She detested being compared to such an entitled sycophant, the fact he was handsome just made it more infuriating.

Ogela turned her gaze towards Kit once again. Despite her desire to challenge the elf, Kit could not disobey Sir Jose. She reluctantly backed down and bowed her head. Satisfied that the squire's dissention was over Ogela outlined her plans to Jose and Trent. "As I was saying. The enemy is too great for us to deal with . Even if their Astral fortress is not fully operational, it will require more resources than we currently possess to siege it. I will take a sizable portion of my knights to escort the surviving townspeople to Cauldron and then I will proceed to Sasserine to raise the necessary troops. I am certain I can secure Griffon riders or perhaps a Grommish Skyship to assist us. Sergeant Trent will reorganize the remaining militia and see to the rebuilding of the defenses of Essuria in my stead. Sir Jose I trust you can discipline your squire before I return?"

Jose nodded silently.

"Excellent ", noted the elf who then turned to the stout oak door of the inn. Besides Maid, Pig Iron, Kaeda, Trent's outriders, and various members of the guard, Kit knew full well who else waited outside. "I also need you to keep an eye on the ….. dragon. I do not trust her and suspect treachery from her sooner rather than later. Magda is a powerful foe, which will have to be eventually dealt with, however for now she is a useful deterrent against our enemies. I suspect she currently has reigned in her aggression in the hopes to use us as pawns in her game, but we shall not be manipulated so easily. She will eventually see this, and her true self shall be shown. Though the dragon warding enchantment on the town has been destroyed, the one in Erland's hold is still active. If need be you can retreat there. I am sure you can withstand a siege from the dragon till we return to handle her properly.

Jose nodded again and cracked his knuckles in anticipation. "She's not the first dragon I've faced, and she definitely won't be the last," replied the knight ominously. Ogela seemed satisfied at the response and saluted once more before leaving the room with Rasmus in tow.

Sir Jose and Trent mumbled a few words to each other before following the elven knight. Trent walked past Kit and offered an apologetic look, but no words of solace. Sir Jose simply walked past the squire, with no words of encouragement or even a disapproving glance.

Kit stared at her lord in despair. She had pledged to help Magda, not to fight her. The town and all its defenders were saved by the dragon and now they were contemplating dealing with her with their swords. Kit knew that knights and dragons did not mix, they were like cats and dogs, or gnomes and kobolds, but the squire did not know who to side with when the time comes. Would she support an evil egomaniac dragon who only desired her children's return, or would she follow her brave narrow minded master, the man that freed her from slavery and returned her life back into her control.

As Kit sat in the conference room alone with her thoughts, a mug of ale was placed in front of her.

Kit looked up and saw Maid before her. "You know I don't drink," the squire said with a forced smile.

Maid nodded her head, "I know, but you seem to like holding the beer mug. C'mon it will cheer you up ", said the innkeeper knowingly before leaving the room to serve her other patrons.

Kit relented and held the glass. While many people found some sanctuary in the actual drink and the ritual of getting drunk out of one's skull in situations like this, Kit simply stared into the glass and saw her own warped reflection on the tinted crystal cup. The squire noted she saw a scared and confused girl , but also saw an ember of determination in her. She wondered if this was the life she wanted? To follow orders blindly despite what her heart tells her to do. She knew that Madeline would devour her in a minute if they had met under different circumstances, and noted to herself that she already attempted that on their first meeting. She remembered Sir Jose telling her how the dragon betrayed her own mate just to claim their entire horde for herself. Madeline was a treacherous and violent beast, but Kit knew there was also a noble side to her.

As a shapechanger Kit knew that one's humanoid appearance often reflected one's heart and soul. It wasn't a hard and fast rule but the correlation between the two seemed accurate enough. Kit was often considered impish and a bit on the wildside, and she admitted that her human appearance looked similar to that description. Her old lord Mogombo was a terrible murderous tyrant, and she recalled his regal appearance coupled with his piercing and almost burning eyes. Despite her violent and selfish nature, Magda had the countenance of a tragic noblewoman and the squire knew that the loss of her children was tearing her up. Though she never had kids , Kit could well imagine the primal instinct to protect one's young .

Kit stared from her room and into the other and saw Madeline alone in a corner. The polymorphed dragon had a forlorn look about her, similar to the one she had in prison. Kit remembered she was on the verge of despair there, powerless in her failure as a mother, and could see that look again on her. She wanted to confront her and explain her inability to convince anyone to help her, but she felt shame at this prospect. Kit wanted to shapechange , run away , and hopefully hide in a corner somewhere, but she could not bring herself to explain to Madeline why she couldn't disobey her master.

Wait…..thought Kit. This isn't right. She looked at Sir Jose as a goofy father figure and as a mentor, but this goes against everything that he had taught her. The knight had told her to stand up for what was right. He had told her not to judge people by their reputations but by their actions. How could one not help a woman recover her children, especially when one gave a vow to do so? Despite what Ogela had said about Madeline, Kit looked at the woman and did not see reigned aggression or whatever that elf had said. She only saw a desperate lonely woman, who only wanted her children back. Kit didn't care if she was evil to the core. Jose himself said that she was the same way when he first rescued her, a selfish bloodthirsty creature that respected only power. The knight had given her a chance to change, and she accepted. Kit didn't know if she actually succeeded in changing her moral outlook on life, but she doubt she would have this dilemma if she didn't have some shred of good inside her. She knew of course that if she helped Magda, most of the knights would brand her a traitor and claim she was Jose's failed experiment, but Kit didn't care. If she was to do one thing worth a damn in her life, it would be to honor her word and help this woman in need.

Kit stood up and with renewed purpose strode into the main tavern area of Dragonslayer's inn. Kit thought it ironic, that inside the tavern, the squire of the knight that this place was named after was about to help the dragon that was supposedly slain by said knight. She chuckled to herself even as she approached Madeline.

Before Kit could say anything Madeline held out a hand and gave the squire a sad smile. "You don't have to apologize, or make any excuses, I heard the whole thing. Though I am in human form, my draconic senses are still very sharp and I heard it all through the door. I thank you for your effort, but I absolve you of your oath. I am after all a Red Dragon. Like all my people, I will face this hurdle on my own …the way it should be", said the woman in a faltering voice.

Kit looked Madeline and saw a tear roll down her eyes. Without warning Kit lunged forward and hugged the older woman. "I won't let you do this alone. I gave my word, I will help you get your kids back ", swore Kit with fierce determination.

Madeline pushed the squire back with surprising force. "Please think this over. Do you know what you are saying? If you follow this path, you will most likely be cast out of your Order, and that's if we succeed. The enemy has already bested me once and that was when they were unaware of my true power. I fear that I am doomed to fail this quest, and it is a burden I cannot ask you to share," declared the woman sternly.

Kit considered her words, then giggled, then laughed. "Do I look like someone that fears death? I've been following a heartbroken suicidal knight for the last few months. I've charged hundreds of goblins with only a guy in an iron can riding a big dog as backup. I've been trained to fight demons that a Rakshasa lord is too wary to engage," stated Kit. "I've even charged an ancient red dragon besieging a town once," she added with a wink.

Magda stared at Kit then smiled. "So be it. I am sorry I doubted your courage or resolve, but I guess if you can challenge me to battle then you can face a few Githyanki."

"I…I…wish to help as well," stammered a voice from the background. Kit recognized the voice immediately and turned to see Kaeda at the edge of their table. Kit noted the wild beauty was still in the flowery dress that Maid had lent her, and saw a remorseful look in her eyes. "I too have keen hearing you know. I feel horrible that I am partially responsible for your capture. I am a druid first and foremost, and I will help you recover your eggs. Nothing is more natural than for a mother to guard her young."

Madeline looked at Kaeda with her one good eye, and appraised her carefully. "You are a druid? All my life, your kind has viewed my people as a type of unnatural phenomena that had to be driven away or killed. You've attacked me in the past and now you want me to trust you?" she asked.

The shy druid had no answer and simply looked down.

Though Kit had mixed feelings about the druid, the squire wasn't a fool. She knew that rescuing Madeline's children would be a difficult if not impossible task with just the pair of them, but the druid's magic might give them a fighting chance.

"Hold up Madeline. I wouldn't swear to help you , if I didn't trust you. If you really want to rescue your kids, I'm asking you to swallow your pride and trust Kaeda here ", argued Kit. The squire saw Madeline did not like to be questioned, and turned her good eye towards her. Kit felt her angry gaze sear through her and she knew she had to think fast. " Look….if you accept Kaeda's help, two things can happen. One, we get your kids back, everyone's happy. Or two….we all die, including the nosy big breasted druid here. That makes two out of three of us happy," joked the squire.

Madeline blinked at Kit's humor and stared at her silently. Kit thought she would transform right then and there and lay waste to the town, but the woman instead chuckled. " As you wish squire Kitahria. I accept your aid, lady druid," smiled Madeline.

Kaeda nodded . " I can't help the size of my breasts ", she muttered self-consciously.

"Oh its settled then, the three of us against the Githyanki," stated Kit smugly. Even though she knew their chances of success were slim to none, Kit felt proud at her declaration. Right or wrong, she decided to take a stand for what she believed in.

* * *

Kit checked her gear. Kukri's ready, armor patched, and even some rations for the road. Not that she minded hunting and foraging but she admitted to herself that she had grown accustomed to prepared foods. She recalled one particular extended expedition through the jungle . She was still under the paw of Mogombo, and she almost blanched when she remembered the taste of the bugs and grubs that she had to eat to sustain herself .

Thankfully that was long behind her and she had the foresight to pack several meals of cured meats and trail bread instead from the pantry of Erland's hold. She had to do so quietly at night though since she did not want to warn Sir Jose of her departure.

As Kit slinked out of the keep she glanced once more at the fortress. A part of her wanted to say good bye to her lord, she couldn't believe that they would part like this. She owed everything to him and it didn't feel right to disappear without a word. In her head she knew he would not approve of her decision to help Magda, but somehow in her heart she believed that he would approve of her actions. She told herself that she was simply following his teachings, and he would do the same in her position.

Kit allowed that belief to sink in , and surprisingly she found her resolve did not waver. In fact the more she thought about it the more she knew that her decision was the correct one. After the last attack there wasn't enough humanoids and giants in a hundred miles left to attack the town . She did not feel that her actions would endanger the town . Most likely, taking the dragon out of town would be the safest course of action for all. As much as she felt Madeline's distress was genuine, Kit knew that the dragon could easily lash out in frustration. Better to direct her fury against the Githyanki rather than the inhabitants of Essuria.

Kit waved a final silent good bye to the fortress and turned away. Madeline and Kaeda would be waiting by the shattered gates, and she did not want to be late.

"Oh…you're not thinking of leaving without saying goodbye to me are you?" said a soft feminine voice from the shadows. Kit cursed and knew who it was immediately. There were few people that could sneak up to her like that, and only one that was always so playful. The squire shifted her ears and nose to their bestial form to increase her ability to spot anymore interlopers.

Out of the shadows stepped Maid. Kit saw that she had a predominantly black tunic,corset, and skirt, with a hint of grey matted chain links underneath. She also wore high fashionable green buckled boots, that made the squire drool with envy. At her side was the finely crafted blade and bow that Trent offered her earlier.

"How..how did you know I was leaving?" asked Kit , raising an eyebrow.

Maid grinned. "Well….You might be tight lipped, but Kaeda certainly isn't. She seemed nervous earlier, and I knew she was up to something. All I did was asked her a couple of questions. She's just a country bumpkin at heart you know, and I can easily ply any information out of her without her even knowing. She's a nice girl with a brave heart, but she's nervous about this whole affair, and honestly can you blame her? So as soon as I put two and two together, I packed my gear and came to see you."

"Nothing you say will stop me Maid. I've made up my mind," whispered Kit as she wondered who else knew of their plan.

"Oh…don't be silly. I'm not here to stop you, I'm here to help you! ", beamed the Innkeeper.

Kit smiled but then looked puzzled at her friend. "Are you sure about this? What about your inn? You've already been away from it so long."

Maid rolled her eyes. "As much as I treasure my business, I value your friendship more. I only have one were fox friend, and I can always take another loan and build another inn," she explained with a big smile. "….it'll just add another five years or so to my debt to the Dwarven Teasmsters….", she added in a whisper sigh.

Kit hugged her friend, and waved her to follow. Soon the pair made their way silently to the main gate. There were sentries posted above on the ruined walls, but despite their vigilance they did not spot the pair.

Kit lurked in the darkness with Maid in tow, and made it to the outer wall, she then stopped when she spotted something moving in the shadows. She expected to find either Kaeda and Madeline , but instead she was greeted with the sight of an armored dwarf.

Pig Iron seemed oblivious to Kit's presence and scratched himself behind the ears with his foot. After a few strokes he seemed content and began sniffing his own armored crotch. Kit thought that she saw enough and stepped out of the shadows to interrupt him. "Okay…Okay…I don't need to see anymore."

Pig Iron hopped on all fours and brushed his beard against the squire's leg. Kit felt somewhat noxious at the dwarf and took a step back from him.

"Oh…Pig Iron's coming along too. Not out of any sense of justice or honor, he just didn't get enough killing last time," explained Maid as she laughed lightly at the pair.

As the Innkeeper laughed, Kit froze. Her heightened smell picked up the scent of apple pie, sulfur, fresh leaves, old fur, and cheap cologne. The squire immediately recognized the odors and the persons that they corresponded to. Kit thought for a second that perhaps they were just on a stroll or maybe a patrol, there was no way that her lord would have actually tracked her to outside the wall, she would have smelt, heard, or at least seen them with her enhanced senses.

"Keeta…..", warned a low voice from ahead that stopped both Maid and Pig Iron in their tracks.

Kit turned and saw it was Sir Jose and Sergeant Trent in full war gear atop their war mounts, Greenpaw and Fluffy 2 , standing at their rendezvous point . Next to the pair of dog riders, was Madeline and Kaeda. While Madeline stood tall and resolute in her aristocratic dress, the druid appeared uncomfortable and nervous. Kit knew then that they were discovered.

"Keeta…..your ears…and nose," noted Sir Jose as he kept one eye on her, and the other on Madeline.

Kit knew what was to come next. He would order her back to the Erland's Hold to chastise her for disobeying Ogela's orders. Then he would possibly drive Madeline away , or possibly do battle with her. If Sergeant Trent was with him, then the guards might possibly be ready to attack as well. With Madeline outside the walls, instead of inside with the villagers, this would be the perfect time to strike.

Kit felt compelled to hang her head in shame and slink back in the shadows, but instead she walked up and stood between Madeline and her Lord.

"I've made my decision. I gave my word and I'm going to stick to it," declared Kit with a faltering voice.

Sir Jose glared at her and Kit felt her will breaking. Before she retracted her statement though, the knight turned to the Halfling and smiled. "I told you she wasn't going to back down. You owe us both a gold."

Trent grinned and flipped a coin each towards the knight and Madeline. The shapechanged dragon easily caught hers. The other throw was short, but Jose swiftly drew his blade and caught the coin with it before it hit the ground. The knight then shifted the angle of the sword and it slid down towards his other hand.

"I apologize Miss Kit, I should have thought better of you," explained the Halfling with a deep bow.

"Umm…err yeah…I think," replied Kit not knowing what the pair were up to.

Sir Jose sighed," Well that settles it. It looks like I'm going to have to accompany you into the mountains. "

Kit could not believe what he just said. "Wait….are you going against Ogela's wishes?"

Jose pointed at himself and gave a mock look of outrage. " Me…disobey orders…please. Knight Commander Ogela specifically told me to keep an eye on you, and to watch if Magda is up to no good. It seems to me that to do that, I will have to follow you girls into the mountains. If I happen to help my squire keep her oath, aid a ..err…damsel in distress, and knock some Githyanki heads in the process…well so be it," he declared cockily.

"As long as you do not get in the way," added Magda with a hiss.

"My dear…I won't just be in your way…I'll be leading the pack," boasted the knight with a smug smile.

While Kit was overjoyed at her Master's plan there was still one question she had to ask, "I understand you are following Ogela's words , but you certainly aren't following the spirit of her orders. Doesn't your paladin code, or knightly honor forbid this?"

Jose scoffed at her notion. Greenpaw walked up to the squire and Jose leaned over and set his armored hand on her shoulders." We're members of the Order of the Husky , she's a Knight of the SnowLion. Besides the dog vs cat rivalry thing, we definitely don't take orders from her. While we definitely respect each others organizations, she's not my boss or yours. I'll take her commands under consideration and do what I think is best. "

Kit turned and saw Maid nod in approval at the knight's speech. Pig Iron was off in a corner grooming himself. Madeline still regarded him coolly with her one good eye, but Kit noted she seemed more relax than earlier. Kaeda smiled broadly at the knight and it seemed a bit of her nervousness seemed to have vanished.

Trent shrugged, "Well good luck storming the castle guys, I'm just here to send you off. While you aren't under Lady Ogela's jurisdiction, I certainly am. Even though the Western Freeholds are a loose collection of Independent city states, I am still bound by treaties to follow her orders. "

Maid walked up to the Halfling and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "We'll miss your skills and your stories," she said in a low drawl.

Trent blushed," Well, I'm sure you will. However, someone has to hold the fort."


	26. Chapter 26

"I wish Trent was here, he would know what to do," grumbled Kit audible enough for all to hear. Though she was quite relieved and happy that Sir Jose had decided to assist her, she had her doubts about her lord's ability to lead. Sure, he was heroic enough, and probably the most deadly person she would want at her side in a fight, but the squire had doubts about the man's cognitive abilities. The fact that they had marched for days, following some random trail confirmed her doubts. The only saving grace was that her master had dispelled Greenpaw and was forced to march along with them.

Madeline nodded at Kit but remained silent. She simply kept her burning gaze towards the knight.

"Trent would most likely have a plan at least, instead of just following the easiest tracks, " agreed Maid. After they had left Essuria, it appeared Jose had decided to follow the easiest trail to spot. The enemy broke up in to dozens of bands, and their tracks appeared mostly the same. The goblins and giants made little effort to hide their passage. The only difference Kit saw between this one and the other ones were that it was older and there were many wagons tracks on it.

Jose stopped in mid stride, halting their progress, and turned towards his group. "Are you two questioning my leadership?" he asked angrily. Though he did not vocally include Magda in the dissenters the knight's gaze fell on her for a few more seconds than warranted. " Pig Iron doesn't have a problem with my lead, " he noted as he pointed to the dwarf , which was scratching a tree during the unscheduled break .

"The blessed of Arcturus neither supports nor opposes your leadership," corrected Kaeda. "He's ..umm he's deciding if he wishes to mark the tree."

The group fell silent, and shifted uncomfortably at the comment.

Sir Jose cleared his throat. "Look guys and gals. We aren't following the enemy, we are backtracking them. Specifically we are following where their supply wagons came from. While the assorted humanoids and giant kin came from all around these mountains, an army moves on its stomach. The enemy might have planted supply caches, or even carried their own rations during their first assault, but the speed in which they prepared their second attack tells me that they had to send supplies from one of their hidden bases, most likely their largest or at least their most well stocked one. I suspect that most of the enemy had retreated to their original stomping grounds, but I believe we can find clues or even discover their main base if we follow where their supplies came from."

Kit considered his words and scratched her head. "If you want to find one of their bases, why don't we just go back to where we destroyed their furnaces?"

Before Jose could answer Madeline answered in his stead. "That specific location has been compromised. After their defeat at the second battle of Essuria, the enemy fears our power and will relocate . To my knowledge it only holds the forges and serves as a headquarters for the hobgoblins that lead the army. Since both the goblin army and the forges have been dealt with , they no longer need that location. I suspect that since their usefulness is at an end, the Githyanki will discard most of the goblins, save for a few fanatics."

Jose nodded. "Aye, we can strike them hardest now by finding and then hitting their main supply cache and discover how they get to their astral fortress. Though I want to strike at the Githyanki directly, it is wiser to attack where they are the most vulnerable. We won't be able to launch a full scale assault till Ogela arrives anyways," he stated. "That is…if she doesn't want our heads on a platter," he added with a chuckle.

"Are you sure they even have this supply depot you seek? The enemy has a reputation of being Astral Raiders, couldn't they get their stuff from, I dunno, another world?" asked Kit.

Sir Jose frowned and shook his head. " Don't be silly. We've already established that they used Mayor Gregor as a middleman to stockpile coke and other resources they need. I've seen their fortress , and it is heavily damaged. I suspect this limits their ability to travel through the aether. They've taken great pains to establish control in this area, most likely for the adamant which is not easy to extract. I'm pretty sure that their position is not as secure as you think it is. They only revealed their fortress because I taunted them with the Silver blade I've taken from them, I doubt they will be so impulsive again. They are far from full strength and they know it, which is why they are gathering all these supplies. "

"So if you think this trail will lead to their store houses or whatever, why aren't we flying to get there faster?" asked Maid, as she took advantage of this unscheduled break, to sit on a fallen log to rest her tired feet.

"Although my companion has been slain, I can summon another. I can also change into an eagle myself if we need to fly," offered Kaeda . Kit noticed that she rubbed her head painfully and muttered something about no more hair pulling, as she mentioned her ability to transform.

"No. The enemy knows of your ability to summon eagles and my draconic form. They will spot us and our element of surprise will be gone, " said Madeline solemnly.

Kit shrugged. "Big deal if we don't have surprise on our side. You're a dragon for Koryis's sake. Also Sir Jose is here, he's a one man wrecking crew. Between the two of you , you can clobber any bad guys that get in your way. "

Madeline turned away at the comment and slumped her shoulders. Kit did not expect this reaction, she thought the normally arrogant and proud woman would at least agree with her.

"We can't use brute force on this mission Keeta ", explained Sir Jose in a low voice.

Kit stopped and looked at her lord. Was he replaced by a doppelganger? She couldn't believe her ears. The knight loved using brute force, it was always his plan A. "I don't understand," stated Kit in confusion.

"Ok, if you were the goblins, gnomes, Githyanki, giants or whatever G-named critter that is guarding their base, how would you defend against an ancient dragon and some adventurers on eagles?" posed the knight. Kit noted that he hesitated in using the word adventurers , though it had bad connotations, it described the group fairly well.

"That's easy. I'll send the remaining goblin fodder to hold them off, while I'll fall back to the main base with the most valuable supplies," answered Kit.

Jose nodded. "What would those supplies consist of?" probed the knight.

"Hmm….most likely something I can carry easily. Gold and jewels used to pay off the goblins. Any magic items. The Adamant ingots…no wait …scratch that, that would be too heavy ", puzzled Kit. She wasn't sure what the point in the question was , since the bulk of the enemy supplies would be captured and they would be one step closer in discovering how they move to their astral fortress. Kit guessed that astral travel wouldn't be easy , and there must exist some type of conduit or gateway that allowed mass transportation of goods and troops from this plane to the other.

"What else?" asked Jose again.

Kit shrugged, not fully comprehending the point.

"My eggs, if they are still there ", stated Madeline her voice cracking.

Kit then understood, and felt a little ashamed. She had promised to help Madeline recover her children, but was too caught up in the crusading and hack slash aspect of their expedition. The Githyanki were obviously rebuilding from some disaster. Since they rode young red dragons, it made sense that they sent Gregor to secure some, thus making them valuable resources to the Astral raiders.

"My circle is a natural order, but we also study the outer and inner planes extensively. Your eggs would not be in the astral if they wanted them to hatch. They should still be in this area, since time moves oddly in the aether ", noted Kaeda with a forced smile in an attempt to cheer up the disguised dragon.

Madeline nodded. "I know this, but I fear the worse. I've heard that children can be born in that plane, but the chance of …defects.. are high . Is this true? "

Kaeda did not reply and turned away, however Kit could tell the grim answer from the druid's reaction.

A silence fell on the group as the fate of the dragon's eggs was contemplated. The Githyanki wanted them to become savage dragon mounts for their warriors to ride into battle on. If they failed in their task, Madeline's children would either become slaves, or warped in the process.

"Okay, okay….enough of this. I have a plan and if we stick to it, we have a reasonable chance of success. We have already left Essuria at night to confuse any remaining goblin spotters to think we are simply fleeing refugees. We follow the supply trails back to their base on foot so as not to tip our hand and alert them of our coming. When we find the base, we send our sneakiest members in to secure the eggs, afterwards we'll unleash Dragon fury, Knight's steel, and Dwarven iron onto them. Hopefully we can make it back to Essuria in time before Ogela notices we're gone, thus avoiding any diplomatic spat between our two Orders, " declared Jose.

The group was captivated by the knight's assessment of the situation, and his commanding presence. Buoyed by his seeming competence, their morale returned as they broke from their brief rest. Kit noted that there was a bit more spring in her group's step as their confidence was restored.

"I'm impressed boss. You really thought this out haven't you," complimented Kit as she strode next to the knight.

Sir Jose shrugged and leaned close his squire. "Actually….this is Trent's plan. He gave me detailed instructions since he couldn't come," he whispered making sure no one else can hear.

* * *

The group hid behind a boulder as they watched the metal titan rip then throw a tree over a nearby mountain. The creature then shifted again, moving in a circular pattern, its left leg seemingly stuck in the ground. The simple act of moving caused a cacophonous screech of metal that filled the valley. The creature was the biggest thing that Kit had ever seen , and she had seen a lot. From the monstrous demonic Goristo , to the infernal Siege engines, even Magda and the great siege elephants of the Maharajaha's of Vinnraj , this thing dwarfed them all. Kit guessed it was close to fifty feet tall, and almost as broad.

It was stout and humanoid in appearance , seeming armored with great iron plates. With her sharp vision , Kit saw oil leaking, gears whirling and pulleys …pulling, beneath its heavy armor, and she wondered if it was a simple construct or perhaps one of the clock work creatures from the plane of Mechanus. Whatever it was, it was smack in the middle of their path.

"What is it?" asked Kaeda curiously. Kit would have thought the nature minded druid would have been repulsed by this towering monstrosity of iron and oil, but the woman in the rose dress seemed completely fascinated by the titan.

"I suspect one of the clockworks that those gnomes talked about. They mentioned they were going to send them to help the siege, and I was a bit surprised that none came. Now that I got a good look at them, I'm relieved that they didn't arrive ", commented Jose.

Kit bristled slightly at the mention of the gnomes. She remembered Buckles had rescued Madeline and herself, and she felt sorry for the sacrifice he made. He was an enemy after all, but he sacrificed himself to save them.

As the group watched the metal titan, a boulder flew from the mountain that the first tree landed over and landed well off from the first titan. The first titan paused and stood still. It shook and rumbled before releasing a huge puff of black smoke into the air. Jose signalled Maid after this new incident, and the innkeeper walked under a tree and then promptly hopped up and grabbed an overhanging branch. After a flip up , she was soon invisible amongst the branches.

"Fascinating, I think it's trying to communicate, perhaps to its mate," noted Kaeda as she puzzled over the metal titan.

Sir Jose gave her an odd look. "Fascinating? Aren't you supposed to be repulsed by this? Those big metal critters are ripping up the valley and stomping and throwing the vegetation around. Every druid I've ever met would have been in a murderous rage by now."

Kaeda looked shocked at the accusation. "Really? The valleys and trees here are vast beyond imagination. Trees get destroyed all the time by bears and beavers, but I do not hold a vendetta against them. A simple forest fire is much more destructive than this thing ever will be, but I do not curse fire," explained the druid.

Jose shrugged," Well I guess since this area is so far in the middle of nowhere, the local druids aren't up in arms against progress and civilization. Where I come from, druids go on the warpath if a couple of lumberjacks get too close to their groves."

Kaeda was mortified. "Why would anyone attack simple wood cutters. How much wood could they possibly cut before they had enough for themselves and their families?"

Kit giggled at the big breasted druid's naivety and was about to explain, when another puff of black smoke followed by a smaller grey cloud from over the mountain appeared. "Look, Kaeda is right. There's its….umm mate I guess, I guess it was calling it."

"Why would they be throwing boulders and trees then? Couldn't it just bellow or do the smoke thing? ", asked Jose.

"I doubt it could hear itself through its own racket. The creature or construct does not appear too alert. Throwing trees is a more effective form of signalling, all it requires is a visual confirmation. The smoke might be a secondary or more detailed form of communication, similar to how Grommish Skyships communicate with each other, " noted Maid unseen from above.

"Can't they use magic?" asked Kit.

Madeline shook her head. "Magic is the key to limitless power, but magic can also be negated. For every spell there is a counter spell, which in most cases is easier to conjure. There is a rule in magic that states it's always easier to destroy something then to build it. People don't realize it but that is why the greatest magicians rely on the mundane as well as the magical. "

Kit considered her words, and it made some sense to her. She heard tales that the great grey wizard in a land called Eriador carried a sword, and one of the most powerful clerics in this world worked in the city guard at Lower Lueders. She knew there were simple spells that could dispel much more difficult ones and even floating eyeball abominations that canceled all magic with simply their gaze. She guessed Magda was correct, and that relying totally on magic was foolish. She noted that even Sir Jose with his famous paladin evil detecting gaze did not base his decisions completely on it. A very small percentage of creatures, like the kind hearted Baroness Stille, radiated evil due to their blood and the paladin wisely used his gaze as a guideline not as hard rules to judge people. She approved his lord's temperance especially compared to that annoying Rasmus fellow that kept staring at her when he was in her presence.

"I think the creature is stuck. It hasn't moved its left foot for a while now," commented Kaeda. "Perhaps its injured?"

Madeline shook her head." It's not a metal elemental or a giant or something, it's just a large construct. If my vision is correct, it appears to be gnomish in construction, which would also explain why it is stuck."

"Eh? I thought Gnomes were master artificer and tinkerers. What does it being of gnomish construction have to do with its leg being stuck," asked Kit.

Sir Jose shook his head. "It's the curse of their race. Long ago, gnomes could recreate effects that only magic can accomplish with their engineering and technology. This of course angered certain gods, which then cursed the creatures. The legends says that any invention made by a gnome is doomed to fail or the very least work improperly. The gnomes of course think its all nonsense and continue to craft their devices, but I suppose their disbelief is part of the curse," explained the paladin.

"Really? " asked Kit in disbelief.

Madeline nodded her head, " Gnomes have built submersible boats, iron engines that can transport hundreds of tons of goods , great flying machines, and weapons of destruction that are equal to any from the war plane of Acheron. Despite all this, their nations occupy small territories and their armies are semi victorious at best," she noted. "I'll let you decide if they are cursed or not."

As Kit puzzled over Madeline's statement, Maid came crashing through the branches overhead . The squire at first thought her friend had slipped from her vantage point, but the Innkeeper landed lightly on her feet with almost no twigs or brambles on her.

"This is bad. There's another of those titans coming this way ", she reported.

Kaeda smiled. "I told you it was calling its mate."

Maid shook her head. "I'm not sure if the thing that is approach is it's mate, but It does has a present. It looks like a spare leg."


	27. Chapter 27

"DAROS LUCHA!" shouted the knight in a thunderous roar towards his towering foe.

Kit watched her lord ride in vanguard towards the iron goliath. Trailing him was Pig Iron atop a shape changed Kaeda, and Madeline atop a summoned spectral horse. The dwarf and the dragon were fair riders, but the squire admitted they did not compare to Sir Jose and Greenpaw. The knight and his faithful green steed weaved past trees, bounded over rocks, and charged towards the metal titan as if no obstacles could stand in his way.

The great construct's entire body screeched as it turned to face this threat. Kaeda's observation about it lame leg was correct, as it twisted its torso in a clumsy fashion. Sir Jose had picked a perfect angle of attack since the titan was unable to face its tiny attackers squarely.

While they were incapable of keeping up with the knight, the druid and the dragon began their magical assault from the back. Though she was in the form of a sturdy pony the druid was somehow able to summon her magic in the form of lightning raining down from the skies onto the construct. From her ghostly mount, Madeline conjured a small violent storm of frozen sleet and ice on top of the titan's head.

Kit thought it was odd that the polymorphed dragon would use frost magic, but in retrospect it made sense. Her enemies would most likely be warded against fire not ice if given a chance to prepare.

"Kit…let's go," whispered Maid.

Kit nodded and proceeded forward as indicated. The squire and the Innkeeper had taken forward positions waiting for Sir Jose's attack. After the knight and the rest of their group launched their strike to draw the monster's attention, the pair began their own attack. While the titan had plenty of blind spots it was too risky to attempt a boarding action without it being actively engaged. The pair could have waited for night or a more opportune moment but their window of opportunity was small. The other titan was returning with what appeared to be the first titan's replacement leg , and the pair of them together would have been much more difficult to defeat. They could have easily evaded the metal monsters, but the threat that the two would march to wreck havoc in Essuria was too great.

From the clockwork Titan's limited movements, Kit and Maid spotted the easiest path up the construct. With the Innkeeper taking the lead, the pair nimbly scrambled up the monster's lame leg, by hopping and gripping along the immobile structure. There were plenty of foot and hand holds and the two quickly made its way up towards the torso.

"DAROS LUCHA!" shouted Sir Jose, and Kit smiled at the knight's familiar and vocal war cry. She saw her lord had broken off from his primary attack trajectory and was now riding in a defensive pattern around the titan. The great metal beast launched what appeared to be a battery of ballista at Sir Jose but its aim was woeful. In frustration it then extended its arm a good thirty feet and swung its great iron fists in a clumsy and futile manner at the nimble dog rider , crushing boulders and snapping trees in the knight's wake. Kit half expected the creature to topple over from its missed overextended attack but the colossal somehow kept its balance.

When Kit caught up to Maid, she saw that her friend was quickly picking the lock of what appeared to be a bolted small metal portal , cleverly blended amongst the numerous gears and exhausts dotting the titan's body. The squire was quite impressed that the Innkeeper managed to maintain her stability on the shifting creature even while she was engaged in the complicated process of opening the door. Kit watched cautiously as another storm of ice assault the creature and was glad that the druid had paused her lightning assault.

Kit scanned the area, and saw Madeline and Sir Jose were still keeping the metal monstrosity busy , but spied the crumpled form of Pig Iron and Kaeda sprawled amongst splintered trees. The squire's vision grew red at the sight.

With a sudden click the portal swung open, and Kit stormed into the small dark portal, fully aware of the danger her friends were in.

"Wait, it might be trapped," warned Maid but Kit paid her no heed. The passage was quite short and constricting , a veritable haven of traps, but the squire knew she didn't have much time. Her remaining friends and companions needed her haste and she would not fail them. Kit changed slightly to a shorter and more bestial form to better fit through the tunnel , even as she ducked a scything blade triggered by her passing.

After evading a few more traps with her incredible speed and feral agility, she navigated through a maze of tunnels and ducts that seemed to converge into the titan's chest cavity. Kit wasn't quite sure where it would lead, but hoped it would be to somewhere vital. Madeline had some knowledge of clockwork constructs and specified the vital points of the titan. Besides its obvious legs , the creature's heart or engine, brain or command center, and something called its gyros would be the fastest way to disable it. Having been trained as an assassin Kit valued such knowledge , but was unsure how to recognize these points. She just hoped that this tunnel would lead to something important she could smash.

The passage eventually turned vertical, but it was no deterrent to the squire. She easily scampered up the tube, even though there was no visible foot holds and found herself facing another iron door. Kit heard the soft echoes of Maid far behind her, most likely disarming the traps that she had recently avoided, and knew she could not wait for her friend to catch up. Brute strength was not her forte, but she extended her claws and braced her arms to brace herself along the tunnel, then she swung her feet upwards with all her might at the trap door.

*Crack*

Incredibly the door jolted from its hinges, surprising the squire. Kit guessed the door was nowhere near as sturdy as the outer one and swung her legs up again with renewed vigor.

The trap door flew open, and Kit followed through into the room , somersaulting once before landing inside a large chamber. As she drew her kukris, Kit saw the room was full of gears, gauges, and levers. A chair was situated in front of a bank of instruments, and it swung towards her revealing a short humanoid, which immediately flew at her with his odd looking hammer hook weapon.

Kit immediately recognized her opponent. The last she saw him was when he was battling the little gnome Buckles , that had freed Madeline and herself and then bought them time to escape. Seeing him now, confirmed her fears that their rescuer had fallen. "Peanut…" she hissed , as she uttered the seemingly silly name of her foe.

Peanut wasted no time in acknowledging Kit as he swiftly grew to the size of a towering giant. The Spriggan narrowly avoided whacking his head on the metal roof even as he swung his weapon at the squire in a wide sideways arc. Kit attempted to duck but was still clipped by the sweeping attack and was smashed painfully into the wall. Though her enchanted skin protected her from being crushed to death by the blow, the attack still knocked the wind out of her and it felt some of her ribs might have been cracked in the process. Luckily for Kit, the weapon the gnome used was large and unwieldy. By the time Peanut readied his next blow, Kit had recovered enough and painfully rolled towards her opponent. The nimble squire weaved between the Spriggan's legs and slashed the back of his calf with her kukris, slicing through leather and its thick hide. The monstrous gnome grunted in pain and spun around to face Kit, but he moved too quickly for his injured leg to support and fell crashing to the metal ground.

Kit launched herself at Peanut's face, smashing his oversized nose with her knee. Her blow did little damage to the massive snout, but it did stun her foe long enough for her to position both of her blades over his eyes.

"Make one move, and I'll be the last thing you see", she threatened in a low growl. Her visage was quite frightening as her teeth, claws, and even tuffs of her red hair were on full display. Peanut glared at his feral captor in fury but restrained himself at the threat hovering over his eyes.

"Good boy ", hissed Kit at her prisoner. "Now shrink."

Peanut sighed and complied by reducing himself to his regular small gnomish form.

Kit considered killing her helpless opponent, but restrained herself. Not out of any obligation to obey Sir Jose's teachings, or to follow a path to better her moral standing, but because she knew this size changing gnome could better answer their questions about the Githyanki and their bases than any goblin or giant they could capture.

Kit glanced at the panels that were before the now empty chair and saw several glass panes with images from several angles outside the construct. She wasn't sure how they were projected to the panel and guessed it was either done by mirrors or perhaps by magic. Regardless of how the construct's sight was accomplished, she noticed with some relief that it appeared to be still without Peanut in control. She also noticed that one pane of glass showed the other Titan had ominously cleared the mountain range that was previously blocking it , and was now making its way towards its immobilized companion.

Peanut saw this as well and smiled, even as Kit ran through her possible courses of actions. One crippled Titan had dispatched Pig Iron and Kaeda, a fully functional one would be much more difficult to handle. They could retreat, but that left the Titans free to either chase them or to siege Essuria once again. Madeline could transform fully into a dragon and engage the iron colossus but it might alert their foes of her presence.

As Kit debated what to do, Maid finally caught up with her and climbed up into the room. Kit nodded at the innkeeper as she kept the gnome at bay even as Maid scanned the room and glanced at the panes of glass. The Innkeeper quickly grasped the situation and began manipulating the gears and instruments by the chair. Kit noted that Maid appeared to have a grasp of what she was doing, but also noted some hesitancy in her movements. She guessed long ago that the Innkeeper was some sort of Jack of all trades when it came to odd skills like construct piloting, but lacked enough proficiency to be considered highly skilled in this particular field.

"The clockwork titan Gaerdal is approaching. I know whatcha thinking and you won't get Baravar here to fight for ya , lass. It takes years to learn to pilot this sophisticated piece of gnomish engineering ", sneered Peanut , seemingly forgetting his vulnerable position. Kit whacked the little guy with the pommel of her blade over his head knocking him out, a maneuver that was a lot harder than it actually looks. She then bound his hands behind his back with strong twine that bit into his flesh.

Maid ignored the last taunt and continued fiddling with the controls. Kit felt the monstrosity move and heard the creak of metal from their chamber inside. The squire glanced at the monitor and noticed the creature's extended metal arms give a retreat signal , similar to the one that she had taught the Innkeeper in the bugbear tunnels beneath Essuria.

"I can make this hunk of junk move, but I can't make it fight," sighed Maid . "However….I can make sure that Essuria only face's one Titan, "she added with a smile.

Kit wasn't sure what she meant, and wondered if there was some automatic fall apart mechanism built into the construct. It didn't seem to make sense that there would be one, but she thought it would be something these crazy gnomes would install.

"Get ready to move," ordered Maid as she watched the second construct approach.

As she glanced once more at the panes, Kit noticed that Sir Jose and Madeline had fallen back out of sight from the approaching Titan. As the metal creature neared , Maid pressed a few buttons and pulled a few levers before swiftly turning to Kit.

"Run!" she warned as she jumped down the trap door. Kit glanced at the panes and saw what looked like the immobilized Titan firing a battery of ballista's at the approaching construct. Most of the sharpened logs missed but several struck and embedded themselves deeply into the second titan's chest, causing it to drop the spare metal leg it carried. Kit suddenly realized Maid's plan as she grabbed her prisoner and slid down the chute following her friend.

As Kit scrambled to the exit, she felt Baravar or whatever the titan they were in was called shake from what she guessed was a counter attack by the second construct named Gaerdal. Kit did not lose her footing even as the walls around her shook violently, and she soon found herself on the outside of the metal beast.

She saw Maid had already rappelled down to its foot, but saw the other Titan was a lot closer than she realized. It spotted her with it's silly oversized mechanical head and was poised with a raised fist ready to smash her.

Kit closed her eyes and prepared for her end. Even with her enchanted skin, she would not survive such an awesome blow. She could see herself flattened like those fried batter half elf delicacies called pancakes in a few seconds. After a few tense moments , Kit opened her eyes and was curious to find herself still alive, still balancing precariously on the metal titan with her captive.

She wondered if the metal beast, Gaerdal, hesitated to strike the final blow because she had Peanut in tow. She hated the thought of using a hostage, but admitted that it was a viable tactic if it kept her alive.

Kit expected her towering foe to utter threats , even though she wasn't sure if it could speak, or at least position its huge fists to trap her and prevent her from escaping. Instead it took a step back ,and put its arms in a neutral passive position. Another sound of shrieking metal came from its torso, and shockingly its chest cavity opened revealing a command room similar to the one she had recently been in.

"Miss Kit! You're alive!" yelled a small gnome happily from the command center of the clockwork titan.

"BUCKLES!" returned Kit with a smile as she recognized the rosy cheeked pilot.

* * *

Though Pig Iron had taken the brunt of the blow that fell them, the dwarf was up again in no time. While extensively battered and bruised he did not seem the worse for wear and was happily scratching trees in a playful cat like manner.

Kaeda on the other hand , was wounded badly from the punch by the titan named Baravar. She did not regain consciousness and would have most likely died if not for the great healing skill of Sir Jose. Kit's jealously of Kaeda once again flared as she noticed her master paying special attention to the big breasted druid, attention that she never received whenever she was beaten to near death in the past. Kit was about to say something snippy , but relented when she realized that Kaeda had put her life on the line for them despite having the least practical combat experience of her group. Kit also admitted that despite her protective jealousy towards her lord, Sir Jose seemed happy in the druid's presence, something that she hadn't seen in him ever since he left the Baroness Stille.

After ensuring her allies were OK, Kit turned her attention back to the Spriggan named Buckles, who was already being questioned by Maid and Madeline. The Innkeeper and the dragon had already pried the location and general layout of the enemies' supply cache and were now attempting to convince the gnome to reveal the method to gain entry to their foe's astral fortress.

"So yeah…I really don't know how the Gith shift back and forth to wherever they are going. I see them plane shifting by themselves, and on their dragons, but for big loads of supplies they just take them into a chamber and then they are gone," explained Buckles , smiling at the attention he was receiving from the two different but attractive women.

"This chamber…is it in the supply depot or somewhere else?" probed Maid in a playful voice.

"The back of the supply depot. It's a nice cool place. We didn't want to keep the food and other stuff near the furnaces. Doesn't matter how well ventilated it is , the ash gets into everything and makes everything taste like…ash," explained Buckles.

"What is stored in this depot of yours," asked Madeline in a slow seductive drawl.

"Oh everything. Mainly food and processed adamant, but also also sorts of esoteric materials , bizarre art work, and even these giant sized eggs. Peanut thinks they are giant penguin eggs, but I think they might be dragon eggs cuz that's what they ride, " shrugged the gnome entranced by the attention he was receiving.

Madeline seemed slightly relieved at this revelation and sat down on a stump . Maid nodded happy that her question had been answered but Kit still had some questions of her own.

"So Buckles… how did you escape? Last I saw you, you were battling your …umm brother here with a dozen goblins bearing down on you? ", she asked while pointing to the still bound and unconscious Peanut.

Buckles giggled and gave the squire a shy smile. "Oh that was easy. I told them you cast a charm spell on me, and I was under your mesmerizing thumb, therefore I was not responsible for my actions. "

Kit returned the giggle, "And that worked? They might have thought I was a druid, but they must realize that druids can only charm animals. "

Buckles shook his head," No…when we first captured you they saw your fox ears, and umm…discovered your enchanted skin was mostly invulnerable save for silver. From your pretty form they knew you were a werefox, albeit a young one. They thought you were working for the druids so locked you up with that other druid there since those collars put on you effectively nullified your spell casting , shape shifting and even your magical hide," explained the gnomes as he pointed to Madeline who smiled at her continued deception.

Kit frowned and pointed at herself, "Well you are partially correct. I am a werefox but we can't cast charm spells."

Buckles scratched his head,"Err…are you sure? I'm pretty sure that's the big difference between Werefoxes and say..werewolves or umm were dogs. You girls are supposed to be bewitch travelers with your magical wiles and trick travelers out of their gold. Similar to Lamias, Harpies, and Sirens , except you don't eat them, you just rob and humiliate them."

"Pfffttt…nonsense," snorted Kit, surprised that anyone could believe such silly tales.

"Err..Kit, those aren't tales, werefoxes are known for their innate ability to use enchantment magic, "commented Maid.

Kit looked shocked at her friend, she turned to Madeline which simply shrugged. "Don't look at me. I never heard of your people till I met you," replied the polymorphed dragon.

"I can't use magic , let alone have charm spells, " protested Kit , more to herself than to her friends.

"Certain races develop their powers as they mature," noted Madeline with a smile. Kit saw she was clearly amused at this new development and the stress it was causing her. "I've heard that…..dragons ,for example, do not gain their full set of powers till they mature," she explained , careful not to reveal her true identity to the gnome who still thought she was a druid.

"Ahemm….", interrupted Sir Jose who had pulled himself away from the injured Kaeda ." Since Kit grew up away from her true parents, it goes to reason it took longer than normal to develop her powers. I thought Kit had just recently gained her charm power , which was why I didn't pummel that Rasmus guy when he was making googly eyes at her. I just thought she accidentally used it on him to gain his affection. "

"Wait…what? Ogela's squire? "Sputtered Kit , now red faced at the thought of the handsome young youth somehow under her power.

Madeline shook her head. " No, when you gain some supernatural power, you can't trigger it subconsciously, you always have control over it. I doubt Kit here would have inadvertently enchanted the boy," she explained which brought some relief to Kit. "On the other hand, Kit might have charmed him deliberately. I'm sure she noticed his handsome blonde locks and boyish charms right away," the dragon teased.

Maid seemed to salivate at Kit's discomfort. "Oh….did our little heroine here take advantage of the helpless lad when she had him under her magical powers? "Asked the Innkeeper as she winked mischievously at Kit.

"I….I…Wahhh!", blurted Kit as she ran from the clearing in embarrassment.

Buckles wasn't sure what to say at the fleeing squire, but Madeline flashed a seemingly fitting draconic smile.

Sir Jose watched his fleeing squire with a grin. "That was mean, " he noted with a suppressed chuckle.

"Yes, but totally worth it," smiled Maid in agreement.


	28. Chapter 28

Kitahria waited patiently amongst the mountain brush. This was the place that the gnomes had described. A deep crevice sheltered by the cliffs of a mountain. A suitable enough base she thought, since its location made it difficult to spot by even airborne druids or dragons.

"So anything going on?" asked a familiar soft voice. Though Kit recognized it immediately as her dear friend Maid, the squire frowned. First off she felt a bit of her professional pride crestfallen since not only had her friend snuck up to her unseen, but somehow she had spotted Kit's seemingly clever hiding spot. Kit always considered herself a master at stealth and perception but Maid had the frustrating knack of outdoing her in both. Kit also felt annoyed that she was relieved from duty so soon. Under her former dark lord Mogombo she prided herself on the ability to observe a target for days without flinching. Patience was as important to an assassin as much as a complete disregard for life. While Kit thought herself over her lack of morality, she was still conscientious about her ability to wait. She sensed that Maid was here to relieve her, and she felt a bit insulted.

"Nothing ," replied Kit finally. Though she could not see her, Kit knew she was close.

"So…do you think those little guys led us astray? ", asked Maid as she suddenly appeared seemingly from thin air.

Kit sighed indifferently. "They have no reason to lie to us. They are mercenaries, and this contract had ceased to be profitable a long time ago. Buckles said they were way over their head, and he was all too happy to take his brother and their clockworks back to Gnome land. "

Maid cracked a grin. "Yes, I'm sure Buckles would never lie to you."

Kit narrowed her eyes at the Innkeeper. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh don't give me that. Even if you can't summon enchantment magic…yet, you had that little gnome wrapped around your pretty little fingers," giggled Maid.

Kit considered yelling at her friend, but upon reflection she gave a slight laugh herself. "Yeah, I suppose I did," agreed the squire. "Though I prefer my men taller, …less hair …smaller noses…with handsome features."

Maid smiled, " Oh please girl. Don't try acting ….so worldly."

Kit did not like her tone, and thought her friend was talking down to her. "I'm sure you've been around the castle a few times haven't you?" she shot back.

"Too many I know," Maid sighed and nodded. Kit expected her to rant in anger but instead saw wetness in her friend's eye. Kit saw that her comment had hit a bit closer to home than she thought. It was not her intention to evoke such a reaction.

"I know I know , I'm almost a spinster now. Maybe I set my standards too high, "admitted Maid with a forced smile.

Kit smirked. "Oh really? Tell me what you're looking for."

Maid stopped and remained silent and assumed a spotter's position. Kit regretted posing the question and was about to return back to camp when the Innkeeper finally spoke.

"Brave…. Intelligent… loyal…dependable…. competent," replied Maid in a small voice as she stared at the short blade she slowly twirled in her hand.

Kit recognized the weapon and who it was from and blinked in comprehension." Trent?"

Maid shrugged in defeat. "It's another one of life's great jokes. I wait all my life for a knight in shining armor, and when he finally arrives, he's three feet tall," she lamented. " Oh and don't give me that love conquers all crap, it would be both physically impossible and frustrating for both of us in the long run, " she added with a sad hiss.

Kit was stunned at this revelation, she was about to offer her friend support when suddenly a commotion came from further down the mountain. The squire watched intently as what appeared to be a column of the taller goblins, the one called hobgoblins, marching towards the crevice. Kit guessed there were close to forty of them, and they had several pack wolves reluctantly carrying crates.

"I'll tell Sir Jose", whispered Maid as she vanished once again.

Kit nodded and watched the procession carefully. She needed to find the entrance, and to find an alternate way to get in. Perhaps another air duct, or maybe ….

An arrow suddenly embedded itself mere inches in front of Kit.

"Oh….and you better not tell anyone of this little conversation," whispered Maid with her bow drawn.

"Perish the thought," smiled Kit.

* * *

Kit and Maid followed the hobgoblin platoon closely. While the humanoid's were more organized and alert then their goblin and bugbear cousins, the Squire and the Innkeeper easily slipped their notice. Kit was well practiced at trailing from the shadows, and hopping back and forth out of their line of vision was easily accomplished. Maid on the other hand was practically invisible, to the point that Kit would have suspected her friend using magic if she hadn't watch her vanish from plain sight herself.

Sir Jose and the others were waiting far in the distance. They would attack in one hour's time, regardless if they recovered Madeline's eggs or not. It was a tight time frame, but both the Knight and the Dragon agreed that if Kit and Maid could not recover the eggs by that time, a direct attack would either serve as a distraction or would be their last hope to recover them.

As Kit shadowed the hobgoblins, she was surprised to see Maid suddenly sitting astride one of the overladen pack wolves. The Innkeeper waved slightly at Kit, even though she somehow remained unseen by the hobgoblins. Maid then began lightly rummaging through their packs and brought forth what appeared to be some jerky and a small sack of dried fruit. She displayed them quickly to Kit, before placing them back and disappearing out of sight again.

With the contents of the small caravan revealed, Kit's mind began wander. While Goblins delight in stuffing themselves with meat, they don't normally eat fruit. The bulk of these supplies were definitely for the Githyanki, but was it just a normal run or were they getting ready to leave? The squire considered these factors even as the column descended into the crevice. She noticed they were switching to single file as they descended down an obscured path. She also noticed several large landings built along the cliff. They looked like steps, but they were too far apart for even giants to use. She wondered if perhaps they were used by the clockworks.

As she speculated on the steps, a heavy grinding noise echoed around her. Up ahead the wall seemed to slide open , making way for the hobgoblins to march inside. Kit's heart raced as she realized this would be the most difficult part. While she could easily trail the hobgoblins unseen from the outside, that feat might be impossible when she entered their lair. While Buckles had told them the location of the area, he wasn't too sure about the specific details of it. She gauged she could easily slip inside the sliding wall, but needed some place to hide quick. Some crates, or maybe an access tunnel would be nice. Even if such a hiding spot existed she needed to find it and get there fast before the guards spotted her, otherwise she would have to fight or flee.

"Weapon rack twenty feet to the right, we only have an hour so we'll split up and cover more ground," whispered a familiar voice.

Kit nodded and smiled. While she was jealous of her friend's superior stealth skills , it certainly came in handy this time.

* * *

Kitahria half expected a maze of tunnels, similar to the ones in the forge complex; instead she found the area fairly well lain out. While not a stone mason, the squire quickly noted that this base was different than the others. There were clear signs that this area was hastily constructed, but despite the haste in its construction, ornate arches and baroque pillars still dotted it's halls.

As she sneaked through the tunnels she could hear a harsh barking voice speaking in a language she could not understand. Even though it was muffled she thought it sounded similar to a wizard casting spells.; rough arcane sounding notes and weird syllables that twisted the tongue. As she crept closer and could make out the speaker's voice more clearly, she realized it was one of the Githyanki. Her contact with them had been brief, but she immediately recognized the creature's distinct speech.

Kit crept closer to the voice, and found the creature in a nearby room. It was barking in its bizarre language at some cowering goblins, which she noted seemed to be as confused as she was. The diminutive creatures were busy loading crates onto a trolley of some sort, and their Githyanki taskmaster was literally whipping them into a great haste.

From Madeline's description, the boxes were too small to conceal her eggs. Kit wondered if she should follow where the cart was going or perhaps trace where the goblins were retrieving the crates from. She knew she had to do so quickly since Sir Jose would literally unleash hell on this area in under an hour. While the Knight himself was formidable, the squire shuddered at the thought of Madeline unleashed onto these creatures.

No…she corrected herself. Not Madeline. Madeline was the noble matronly woman that Kit had befriended that was fiercely protective of her children. That woman would not be attacking this complex, instead Magda the dragon would be set loose for vengeance. While they were the same person/creature, the squire's mind made a clear separation between them. Kit could well imagine the devastation and destruction Magda would inflict upon this area. The squire saw first hand on a few occasions the primal fury the dragon could unleash. If Maid or herself did not recover the eggs in time, that would mean Magda's children were no longer there, could not be found, or they needed extraction. It was a short time frame, but they all agreed to it. Too short of a wait was insufficient time, while too long added to their risk to discovery. This was all based on the rough descriptions that Buckles had given them. The best case scenario of course was that Kit found and secured the eggs, then assisted the attack from within. She could easily negate the area's impressive defenses, long enough for Sir Jose and Magda to breach the underground fortress. The worse case scenario was that she would be found and killed long before that , or even worse the eggs would be gone.

Kit found it odd that she somehow valued a dragon's eggs more than her own life. Was it because she was honoring her vow , or maybe her sense of duty to some abstract greater good? If it was for some greater good, it probably would have been better if the eggs were destroyed. Red Dragons were known to be much more violent and evil than the little known Githyanki. Even after their failed attempt to conqueror this dimension a century ago, the astral warrior's deeds paled compared to those committed by Red Dragons. Dalton the Red almost destroyed the dwarves of Khazag Narg by stealing their great forge, the beast known as Old Smokeynose slew hundreds of adventurers in Norwold, and Brazzemal the Bright was the personal assassin of King Snurre, the dreaded Fire Giant King. The world might have been better off without a few dragon whelps, but Kit did not see it that way. Regardless of what these creature's collective past were, Kit had a belief that they should be given a chance to live their own lives. It seemed kind of silly but she rather deal with a fully grown rampaging dragon than to crack helpless eggs. It might have been simple naivety on her part, but she felt their fates mirrored her own.

As Kit contemplated her most likely flawed decision making process, she caught a scent of a familiar ash scent. While she found it tough to admit that Maid was better at most roguish skills than herself, she was sure her sense of smell was unparalleled amongst her companions. She could smell red dragons in the area but also noted a distinct smell nearby.

When she first met Madeline, she was at first confused by her smell because of the relatively small Red Dragon that had attacked her in the forge room. Kit had now learned to differentiate her smell from others of her kin. Madeline had less of a sulfur smell and more of a charcoal or ash scent, with a distinct musk. She guessed that some of that unique aroma had rubbed off on her eggs, and she was determined now to find them.

She sniffed the room carefully, and determined that it originated from where the goblin's were retrieving their crates. The Squire was told that the eggs needed to be on the prime material plane to hatch correctly, and figured that they would be the last item to be moved, if the Githyanki were indeed evacuating the area. She timed the march of the laboring goblins and darted through them , hiding in shadow, beam, and crate in the process.

As she neared the source of the scent she reached a large supply room , with isles upon isles of organized crates. She saw empty crates stacked neatly on one side, and a small loading area where she guessed future crates would be loaded and stacked into their respective isles. This operation was obviously too complex for goblins, and she saw some odd runic lettering that confirmed her guess.

As Kit skirted through this warehouse, she quickly discovered the eggs in question. However, instead of the three that Madeline claimed to be missing, Kit found roughly two dozen of them , sitting neatly on some crates , half buried by coins . While it was a shock to find so many , it shouldn't have really surprised her. Mayor Gregor, and others like him would have plundered much smaller dragon's then Magda to steal her eggs. The Githyanki were rebuilding their forces, and it went to reason they would also rebuild their infamous Red Dragon Cavalry. While Madeline was obviously outside seeking her egg's return, Kit guessed that other much less powerful dragons were slain in an effort to retrieve their eggs. The squire could easily spot the ones that were Madeline's but wondered what to do with the rest. She knew her time was short, but she couldn't just leave them here.

Each egg was roughly a foot length and shaped like a globe. Madeline told her that the egg's shells were very hard and would require a sledge hammer to crack under normal circumstances; after all they could support a monstrous beast such as Magda sitting on them. Kit noted that while this room was busy with goblins, this particular area saw only light traffic. She scanned the immediate area to see if there were any traps, and when confident there weren't any she scooped them all up in large sack.

While it would have been much easier to throw them into her bag of holding, she heard that living creatures were affected adversely in the extra dimensional space. Kit did not want to take that risk and instead jammed them into a strong leather sack. The bag when full was unwieldy but thankfully not too heavy. The eggs scraped and grinded against each other, but luckily they did not seem to break.

Having secured her objective, she knew she still had to exit. Sneaking in was one thing, but sneaking out was quite another. With the large overflowing bag on her shoulders, she knew darting from shadow to shadow would be difficult. Concealing a thin werefox was one thing, but currently she looked like an anorexic version of the jolly Grommer winter festival half elf. Kit chuckled at the thought, and noted while she wasn't bursting at the belly, she was wearing red.

Kit considered waiting for the attack to start, but thought it might be too risky. While the purpose of the attack was to give them an opportune time to escape, she felt the eggs were at too much risk here. With so many eggs the Githyanki were sure to send someone to check up or to move them immediately during an attack. Even though the astral plane was not the best area to incubate them, Kit guessed their foe would rather have them there then to lose them entirely.

As Kit puzzled over her next course of action, a goblin began chattering nearby. While Kit's goblin was far from perfect, even she could understand that it had spotted the missing eggs. While the creature hadn't spotted herself yet, Kit knew she had to move now.

She threw a kukri at the alert goblin's head, and the blade sank deeply into its throat. Kit hoped the creature would simply die quietly but it unleashed a horrible sound.

"Breegurg….Yargugr…." it gurgled before expiring on the ground.

The nearby goblins stopped their tasks and drew their weapons. Meat cutters, dog slicers, and crude hand axes were drawn as the almost comical creatures swarmed seemingly in a random pattern around the room. Kit bolted from her hiding spot, with one hand holding her prized cargo while the other onto her kukri. The squire cut down any goblin that got in her way as she attempted to find either an alternative hiding spot or better yet to retrace her way back to the entrance.

One goblin seemed to guard the door she entered from, but she easily stabbed him before it was aware of her presence.

Another goblin attempted to jump her on one side, which she easily dispatched with her a slash across the belly with her blade, while yet another came at her from the other side. To Kit's horror she instinctively batted the creature with the bag of eggs, and noted it smashed into the small beast like a bag of heavy rocks, sending the critter down for the count. The squire half expected them to make cracking noises, but to her relief no such sound was made, and no yolk or whatever were in the eggs leaked from the bag.

Buoyed by her success the squire raced past an ornate rune covered arch, and into the trolley room. Only a few goblins remained here. Kit guessed they scattered when they heard the initial alarm, and were now combing the tunnels looking for her. She wondered why they didn't simply proceed to where they heard the alarm, but she admitted that they were not only dumb but also very cowardly. It probably occurred to some of them that their lifespans would be greatly increased if they began searching away from where their enemies actually were.

Kit liked her chances to escape, and turned towards the corridors that lead to the weapon racks. As she took a few steps the bag she carried suddenly grew light and was yanked from her grasp. Kit looked up in despair as she saw the sack hovering above her, outside her reach. She then felt the hairs on her head stand up, and she quickly dived and evade a bolt of lightning.

She heard that terrible barking arcane voice once again, and turned to see a Githyanki warrior bearing down on her with a glowing silver sword.

"Great….," hissed Kit as she drew another blade so that a kukri was in each hand. "The two things that I'm vulnerable to, magic and silver."


	29. Chapter 29

Kitahria twirled both her kukris in her hands with deft grace, seemingly oblivious to the charging Githyanki Warrior Mage. She sneered at her foe , even as she slid out of his path, and added a playful wink at the last moment to infuriate her foe.

The astral warrior was momentarily confused at his dodging opponent and Kit took the opportunity to slash him across the back from his vulnerable position Just as her kukri was about to strike, the warrior mage suddenly disappeared and then reappeared almost instantaneously a few yards to her left. He was byeond her reach, and Kit saw he was dressed in the similar manner as the other Githyanki she had fought previously. Light yellow and tan ornate armor, decorated with gaudy oversized jewels, a tall curved hat studded with cheap gems and jewels. Kit also noticed her foes outfit had noticeably fewer runes and symbols, she guessed he was a lower ranking warrior or some sort.

The Githyanki swiveled to face the squire once again and evoked two lances of fire at the squire. Both flaming rays were too sudden and too fast to evade ; she ducked one but the other struck her squarely in the chest. Kit raised both kukris to block the fiery lance, in an attempt to mitigate the damage, but was still burned by the flames.

The Githyanki warrior charged once again at the singed squire and swung his blade in a wide overhead arc. Kit shook off the flames but saw the blade was too close to dodge. She tried to weave away but the greatsword still connected solidly on her shoulder. Kit half expected to be mortally wounded from the silver blade, but was shocked as much as the Githyanki when she merely staggered back.

Kit reflexively stabbed her foe in response and once again the astral warrior blinked away a few yards out of reach. Instead of launching herself at the Githyanki, Kit took a step back and rubbed the spot where the sword struck her. It had cleaved her leather armor, but not her skin.

"Oh…it's not a silver blade is it? Just shiny steel isn't it? " she mocked with a smile. "I guess they only give silver ones out to the good warriors, " she added with an irritating know it all smirk.

Kit wasn't sure if the Githyanki even understood her, but the warrior mage shouted something in his arcane tongue and a volley of arrows appeared and streaked at her. Kit was readied this time and dodged behind some crates , narrowly avoiding the magical strike.

She thought she could eventually beat this second tier warrior but she knew defeating him wasn't her objective. She figured she probably would have enjoyed beating this guy but she had a more important task. Her goal was Madeline's eggs, and she had to secure them before the others launched their attack. Her honor as well as her friend's children were on the line.

Kit scooped a piece of debris off the ground and threw it casually to the other side of the storage room. Predictably the Githyanki glanced at the direction of the sound, and that was all the distraction the squire needed. Kit hopped nimbly on a crate before jumping up and grabbing the bag of dragon eggs. While she easily reached the sack, the bag did not cooperate with her. The object hung frustratingly in midair with the squire hanging on top of it.

The Githyanki saw this as well and Kit saw he was weaving another magical attack. Kit wasn't sure if it was going to be another big blast spell, but she wasn't going to take that chance. Even though the eggs were probably valuable to the Githyanki, she wasn't sure if a second tier astral warrior would appreciate their full value.

Kit felt the bag swinging slightly from the top, and guessed whatever enchantment was levitating the bag was doing it from the top of the object. She slashed her kukri at the top of the sack, hoping to simply sever the focal point of the spell from the rest of the bag. To her dismay the entire bag spilled open dropping the dragon eggs onto the hard stone floor.

Kit cringed as the eggs struck the ground and expected them to create some form of morbid draconian omelet; instead they bounced and dispersed on the floor like oversized marbles. As the eggs scattered, Kit noticed that a few knocked down some fleeing goblins, while one even rolled into the ankle of her Githyanki foe. The Astral warrior yelped in pain from the heavy egg and fell on one knee.

The squire expected a litany of arcane curses from her opponent, but instead he started to laugh as he stood up again. "A comical attack, but what else do you expect from a second rate opponent?" taunted the astral warrior.

Kit jumped off the remaing shred of magically hover leather. As she hid behind another crate she saw nothing but red. How dare her opponent call her a second rate opponent, she was first tier all the way. Sure, she wasn't as impressive looking as Sir Jose, or as humungous as Magda. Upon further reflection, she guessed she lacked the striking good looks of Maid, the ominous threat of violence of Pig Iron, or even the military crispness of Sergeant Trent. She could shape change but not on the scale of Kaeda. Despite all her self-criticism, Kit knew she was as deadly and competent as any of her companions. Sure she's been knocked out a few times recently, and was even captured, but that didn't make her second rate…did it?

Before she could answer a crate near her hovered in the air, before being propelled with great force into the wall. The crate shattered into splinters and assorted foodstuffs. Kit gripped her blades as she saw another crate hovering and exploding in a similar manner. The squire knew she would be found soon, and she had to do something quick.

"You can't hide forever! The alarm has already been sounded, "declared the Githyanki.

Kit knew he was right, but wasn't about to give up. She figured it was all about timing. She waited for the next wooden box to be lifted , and wound herself up , ready to spring. When the box began hurtling to the wall, she sidestepped out of her hiding spot and launched both her daggers at the warrior mage. The Githyanki was struck in the shoulder by the first blade before blinking away from the second one. Before Kit scampered to another hiding spot when she noticed her foe reappeared where the first crate he lifted and smashed was. It wasn't a good position tactically, and she wondered if the Githyanki had any control over where he blinked or if the spell just reflexively tosses him out of harm's way.

While her opponent was in an open position, Kit was too far away to engage him in melee. Kit was loathe to throw her two remaining kukris at the warrior mage, and scanned the area for an alternate weapon. She hoped for a plank of wood, or even an abandoned goblin weapon, instead she saw nothing but rolling dragon eggs. Without even thinking the squire wound up and kicked an egg at her opponent. While her form was far from perfect, the egg sailed through the air and smacked her pale pale opponent audibly in the head.

Kit was both horrified that she had kicked a dragon egg , and ecstatic that it nailed her opponent in the side of his big head. From the way the Githyanki began clutching his skull and the ichor oozing from the point of impact, Kit guessed it must have been a very effective attack. With little regard for the egg's safety she wound up and kicked another egg at her foe. The Githyanki managed to blink out of the way a few feet to the side , but the egg bounced heavily against the wall and ricocheted towards his new location, catching both Kit and the Githyanki by surprise as it landed heavily in its stomach. The astral warrior doubled over in pain from the unexpected strike.

Kit wasn't sure how that happened, but knew something was up. She had been in the assassin business for a long time , and knew lucky shots like that just simply didn't happen. She learned long ago that there was no such thing as luck in her line of work. Kit pushed guessing why it happened out of her head and instead seized the opportunity that presented itself. While her opponent was still reeling, she bolted towards him with blades at the ready. She stabbed one kukri into the warrior mage's back. Even as he blinked again a few feet forward, Kit waited patiently, if for only a split second, and threw the other blade at her foe. Her gambit paid off as her weapon caught her opponent cleanly in the throat, sending him crashing and gurgling on his side.

Kit looked at her dieing opponent, and saw he was glaring at her in disbelief.

Kit wrinkled her nose and laughed as her foe faded. "Second tier eh? How do you like me now? ", she snorted as she began corralling all the loose rolling eggs into another bag.

* * *

Kit knew her time was short. The alarm was sounded, and more Githyanki or other similar foes would be arriving. While the goblins were acting like the little weasels that they were, she knew that they could be dangerous if a forceful or more powerful creature lead them.

With the eggs once again secured, Kit considered fleeing back to the exit. However, she thought that would be the first place they would look for her. It would be better if she found an alternate hiding spot to wait it out. Despite her rough handling of her precious cargo, keeping them away from harm was her first priority. With Madeline's children safe, she felt there would be no stopping the enraged dragon.

While she hadn't really explored the complex that thoroughly, Kit could hear frenzied activity from the tunnels she had been in previously. She glanced at several turned over carts , and wondered if she could lay low underneath one till Sir Jose or the others could catch up. She dismissed the idea as too risky, but suddenly heard the steady clacking march of a large platoon. Kit sighed and picked a cart near a cluster of smashed boxes, to hide under. She had to partially change into her smaller bestial fox form to fit, but thankfully the bag was malleable enough to squeeze through.

As she waited underneath the cart, she heard what sounded like deep goblin voices and the harsh arcane barking of a few of the Githyanki. She also smelled a strong brimstone scent, and thoughts of the battle she fought against the Abishai and Spinagon flooded into her memory.

"I smell beast. Like druid …."came a low goblin growl.

"Kazoz was right…we should have burned all the treelovers before we were discovered, "hissed a strange voice. Though Kit could not identify it , she detected verbal hints of an Infernal accent, and deduced it was probably another Abishai or some similar creature like she had guessed.

"Kazoz was a fool," replied an imperious harsh arcane voice. " His obsession with the druids started an insurgency we do not have the resources to handle. While we can definitely defeat them in an open battle, this is their mountain, their forest, their lands. We can overwhelm them and their pathetic strongholds, but it would take decades to stamp them all out. All Kazoz's meddling has brought us is our forges destroyed, the locals alerted to our presence, and our plans in jeopardy."

"Yes…yes indeed mighty Zazoz. " hissed a voice that was all too familiar with Kit. Mayor Gregor. While the voice sounded weak, it had the unmistakable toady sycophant tone of a seasoned politician. "Let us not forget at least Kazoz's plan has removed your chief rival, namely Kazoz himself, " Gregor added with a weak chuckle.

The room beyond the upturned cart fell silent. Kit wondered if they detected her presence or if it was something else.

"FOOL! Do not think we Githyanki are a splintered people like your own. While there are factions within our society, we all ultimately serve the Liche Queen. While I have no love for Kazoz or even weak and foolish Jhinok here, we cannot leave this dimension knowing Kazoz's silver blade is lost. I will sacrifice all to recover it, even yourself Gregor, " warned the imperious voice ominously.

A chorus of goblin cackles and Infernal hissing roared through the room. "Yes , a thousand pardons my lord Zazoz. Sir Jose of the dog knights will be properly dealt with, " apologized the wheezing voice of Gregor.

"HAH! Do not take your foe so lightly. Given the fact, not only has he driven you out of your precious town, and if I'm not mistaken has inflicted that festering wound on you, by my count he has bested you twice. While you may refer to them as the dog knights, my people have fought this particular order in the past. They were in the vanguard that ruined our previous plans of conquest of this dimension . Do not take your enemy lightly, "warned the imperious arcane voice.

"Yes my lord, "apologized Gregor once again.

As Kit waited patiently under the cart, she could hear what sounded like sniffing animals or perhaps goblins closing in on her. She cursed silently at her choice of hiding spot, and thought she should have remained mobile. She gripped her blades ready to strike again if and when her foes discover her.

Before her location could be pinpointed, a frenzied goblin voice broke the tension.

"Lord Zazzzozoz!" exclaimed a high squeaky goblin voice.

"Speak!"

"A fire has broken out in the lower barracks. It must be the intruder!" exclaimed the frenzied voice.

Kit's heart jumped. It must have been Maid she thought. When the goblins sounded the alarm in this area, she guessed the clever Innkeeper decided to give their foes something else to deal with. Kit could hear the marching of feet grow faint, as she figured Zazoz or whatever his name was leading his patrol away.

Kit waited till the sound of the search party was far away. Confident they were gone, she scampered out beneath the cart and changed back to her full humanoid form once again. She yanked the sack roughly through the gap. She figured if they could survive being dropped, bounced, and kicked, they could survive being squeezed.

As Kit recovered her cargo, a sudden wave of heat flashed next to her. With the speed of thought Kit dived out of the way, but even the fleet footed squire was caught in the fiery blast. The world exploded in pain as her hair and skin was scorched , and her body tossed to the side like flaming rag doll.

Kit struggled through the pain and looked in despair before her. The leather sack she had been carrying was a charred blackened husk. Her spirit drained as she realized she had failed. All the eggs were surely cooked in their shells. She tried to crawl towards them and salvage what she could, but was intercepted by what could only be an infernal.

The creature was bright orange in color, covered with barbs and spikes. It was roughly humanoid shaped, slightly taller than Sir Jose but not as broad. It had a thorn covered tail, and seemed to radiate fire from his skin.

"Ah…I knew you were under there, but I wanted to play with you myself ", cackled the creature in his hissing infernal voice.

Kit knew she was in trouble. Besides being badly burned and injured, she recognized the type of foe she faced. It was a Hamatula or a barbed devil. It wasn't as terrifying as a legendary Pit fiend or ice devil, but it was far beyond anything she had faced by herself.

Kit struggled weakly to rise, but was met in the face by the creature's spikey flaming foot. Her cheeks hissed as her flesh was seared even as she was kicked to the side. While the blunt force of the blow did not affect her, the fiery aura of the creature did. Kit regretted not asking for some type of energy resistance spell from Kaeda, but admitted she probably would have picked electricity since the Githyanki she had encountered had favored lightning spells so far.

"Oh…I'm disappointed. I expected more fight from you, " hissed the creature again as it stalked towards her. " Show me some fight….show Zaxstathoth a battle to remember. "

Kit shook her head, this creature sounded like that Malleus guy or whatever that demon was called that kept badgering Sir Jose for a fight. She wasn't sure why half of these immortal outsider morons obsessed in proving their worth in battle, but guessed if she lived forever like they did, she would probably have weird eccentrics to keep her amused and entertained.

Kit held a hand up at her attacker. " Zaxstawhateveryounameis….., if you want a memorable fight, give me a chance to recover," pleaded the squire as she deftly drew a silver short blade behind her back. She doubted her time delaying ruse would work, but even still she knew she needed some sort of silver weapon to hurt it. While silver was dangerous to her, she had no fear of it. It was simply a dangerous tool.

The creature paused and grinned at the squire with a maw full of sharp teeth and waved to her to proceed.

Kit was a bit surprised that her plan worked, and quickly dug out a healing potion from her magical bag. She quaffed the potion down and felt her skin rejuvenate and her health return. She was about to drink another when the creature threw another fiery ball at her.

"Times up!" it cackled.

Kit was prepared this time and slid behind some crates that had not been destroyed from the previous explosion. She felt a wave of dry heat behind her, but noted that she had avoided the blunt of the blast. Without breaking her stride, she continued to slide past the crate, then switched to a jog and launched herself at the barbed devil.

Instead of dodging the creature puffed its chest out and spread its arms towards her. Kit wasn't sure if the creature had a death wish but grasped her scimitar in both hands and gave the creature a powerful two handed strike. While her blade did connect and draw a shout of pain from the creature, Kit noticed in horror as the creature's spike seemed to enlarge and pierce her with flaming spines as she drew close. The squire yelped in pain and shock as she withdrew from the howling creature. Kit felt it was vastly unfair the creature had some deadly point blank defense while she didn't. The squire thought if she could raise the temperature of her skin so easily , she would be invincible in combat.

Though injured the barbed devil did not relent. It pivoted sharply , lashing its spiked tail at Kit's legs. The squire easily hopped over the leg sweep, but was caught by a simultaneous heavy spiked punch to the stomach. Kit felt even her supernaturally resistant skin stretched to its limit, as a sharp fiery pain tore through her. She flew backed helplessly and landed hard on top of the charred sack. Kit hoped her fall would at least be broken by hard-boiled eggs, but instead her back was painfully bent out of shape as she impacted on what seemed like the crenelations of some battlement.

"Ahhhh!" yelped Kit as she immediately clutched her back.

She struggled to get up and turned to face her opponent. The Hamatula was walking towards her in a confident stride full of devilish swagger. She also saw the eggs in the sack some how survived the previous fireball, as her collision with it, knocked a few of them out rolling out.

"When I send you screaming in the void, remember Zaxstathoth sent you there, " bragged the creature as it raised a spiked fist to finish Kit off.

Before the killing strike was delivered, the entire underground fortress suddenly shook from an earth-shattering tremor.

Magda had arrived.

Even the solid construction of the storage room began showing cracks from the quake as everything began to shake violently.

The barbed devil briefly lost its balance but it did not fall, but Kit seized the opportunity that presented itself. She grabbed the charred bag and swung it with all her might at the creature's legs. The bag exploded from the fire and spikes, and once again the eggs were sent scattering and bouncing around the room, like some sort of billiard game found in cheap taverns. The barbed devil tried to balance itself , but it inadvertently stepped on one of the round eggs, sending it comically crashing unceremoniously to the ground. Kit braced herself for the spikes and fires of the creature and once again lunged at it with her silver sword. Flames burned her skin and spines pierced her flesh, even as her weapon buried itself deep into the prone's creature chest.

Kit released the weapon and staggered back in pain . She looked and saw the creature thrashing furiously with the sword pinning it to the ground. The creature was mortally wounded but was not defeated yet. Kit despaired as that was her only easily accessible silver weapon. She could dig into her magic bag for another, but the creature might free itself by then. She grabbed the largest piece of debris from the destroyed crates strewn about her and attempted to skewer the trapped devil with it. The wooden shard caught on fire, even as it bounced futilely off the creature's chest.

In desperation Kit, picked up one of the eggs and raised it high above her head. The egg was hot to touch, and almost burned her fingers, but it was still fairly heavy and solid. She guessed if she failed in her quest, at least she could take down this creature. With a shout she slammed it down onto the creature's head and a sickening crack filled the air. Kit took a step back and turned her head in disbelief. She half expected some draconic yolk to cover the creature's face as it rose up to slay her with her own silver weapon. She resigned herself to that fate since she had failed in her mission. She doubted any eggs survived such abuse and she closed her eyes readying herself for whatever doom was in store for her.

When no blow felled her, Kit turned to face her foe. To her utter disbelief, the egg had not cracked at all, but the creature's skull had. The creature began fading away, signalling its complete defeat.

Kit began retrieving the scattered eggs once more, as horrified screams of incinerated goblin echoed through the halls. She noted the eggs were much more red than before, and Kit wondered if they were fully cooked inside. She felt no pride at her fallen foes , since she had failed so miserably in her mission. She briefly considered fleeing the fortress to avoid Magda's wrath, but she owed the dragon a proper explanation for her failure. She did not expect any mercy but at least she could die with some dignity.


	30. Chapter 30

The white bugbear roared as Kitahria's knife sliced deep into his side. The large shaggy goblin ignored the bleeding wound as it batted the squire with his heavy spiked gauntlet. It's cestus was deceptively fast and it connected squarely with the top of Kit's head and slammed her down to her knees. While the werefox's enchanted skin saved her skull from being crushed, the force of the blow from the burly goblin managed to daze her and to cut her scalp.

Kit felt a little blood trickle down her forehead. Her vision was blurred from the impact, even as she saw the goblin raise his heavy mace to finish her off. She had little chance to attack again, so opted to roll backwards in a series of several tight somersaults.

The goblin's mace smashed into the ground where she one stood, and sent shock waves down the corridor. The force of the creature's blow shattered the floor, and embedded itself in the debris. While Kit's sight was still blurred from the punch and her own blood, she still had the acumen to see her opponent's dilemma. The squire seized the opportunity. With practiced deftness she reversed her roll launched herself at the white bugbear with a mighty leap.

The shaggy goblin abandoned his weapon to confront the flying squire. It braced his heavy gauntlet to block her knife, but was surprised when she twisted in midair and planted the heel of her foot into his jaw.

The bugbear was stunned by the unexpected swift attack and swung blindly at her opponent. Kit grinned as she easily ducked the chaotic lashing attacks, and began picking her shaggy foe apart; a stab between the ribs, a slash under the armpit, a jab in the stomach, and even a cheap kick to the monster's knee. The bugbear's injuries and its wild swings soon left it unbalanced and Kit pressed her advantage with a swift straight kick to its chin. The force of the blow sent the monster crashing into the floor backwards.

Kit would have normally taken the opportunity to jab her foe a few times as it struggled to regain its balance. What better time to kick a foe when he's down? However she knew time was her enemy so she left the shaggy goblin simply reeling in a prone position. The squire scrambled back and retrieved her precious sack and then bolted past her downed opponent. While her friends had provided a distraction she still had to find an exit. While her allies were powerful, she doubt they could defeat an entire fortress of Githyanki and their allies.

Kit's mind had mapped the areas of the fortress that she had already explored but several heavy doors and barriers had been lowered to block her path. The squire was forced to explore and scout passages, and stairwells that she had not ventured into before. She guessed that after the initial attack it was the protocol of the defenders to block key or sensitive areas. Kit noted that simple goblins would never had implemented such a series of safeguards, and reminded herself of the true enemy she faced.

After several failed attempts to navigate to the exit, Kit decided to slow down and redirect her approach. She drew forth her lycanthrope powers and transformed herself slightly. Her ears and snout were lengthened and she hoped to focus her senses with them. While she wasn't sure how successful her enhanced smell and hearing would be, she was startled when she felt her precious cargo shift in the sack she carried.

Kit jumped back and accidentally dropped the bag, sending the eggs crashing into the hard floor. Normally she would expect the eggs to shatter on impact, but she had already seen what they could endure. She had so far tossed them, kicked them, and even used them as makeshift rocks to batter her opponents with. While they were still structurally intact, Kit wasn't sure if they were still alive especially after they were incinerated by her duel with a Githyanki warrior mage, but she half jumped out of her skin when she felt something stir.

Kit looked at the eggs wondering if a ravenous little red dragon would leap out and attack her. While she had forged some sort of relationship with Madeline she had no illusions of what red dragons were and what they were capable of. Sir Jose himself had often told him of his tutelage under Sir Rollo, and his first encounters with dragons then. Red dragons were the epitome of power and violence, larger specimens like Magda could sweep away nations, while the smaller ones were capable of terrorizing and razing villages. Even fresh out of the shell, there were tales of baby red dragons slaying unsuspecting adventurers.

Kit appraised the eggs and breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed that they were all still intact. As she examined them she also noticed a few of them were rocking and vibrating. Kit's mind initially drew a blank but then smiled when she realized that the fireball that struck them earlier did not hard boiled them. It made sense that fire would not have an adverse effect against the eggs of a fire dragon and Kit laughed lightly at herself for her ill-founded fear. Suddenly panic set in. Kit then realized that while the eggs were still viable, they were also ready to hatch. From what she knew of them , Kit believed hat the hatchlings would be ravenous after they broke free from their shells. That was something the squire did not want to deal with. In her mind's eye she had a fearful vision of a piranha like horde of flying baby dragons biting and nipping at her as she ran for her life through the fortress.

Kit wondered if it would be best to just leave them now to get a head start. While she had pledged to help Madeline retrieve her eggs, there was nothing mentioned about live voracious little beasts.

As Kit pondered the inevitably of the mass hatching , her enhanced hearing noted the sounds of the din of battle. Kit's eyes narrowed on the eggs and briefly considered stashing them nearby, but instead chose to risk it and gathered the eggs up once again. If the battle was close , that meant her allies were close. If she could get them to Magda back in time, it would be her problem then.

With bag once again over her shoulder, the fleet footed squire dashed from shadow to shadow once more towards the battle. The closer she got, she noted that she smelled odd but familiar scents. She smelled a rotten smell, like that of the great swamps , and also a thick bacon aroma. She wasn't sure what it meant, but forged ahead when she smelled the distinct mountain pine scent of open air.

When she neared the source of the air, Kit could not believe her eyes. The entrance had been smashed open and a massive battle was being fought at the breach. At the forefront of the conflict was Magda in her full dragon form, the massive beast wrought ruin to her foes with every swipe of her claw, and gnash of her teeth. Kit noticed the large swaths of the fortress were on fire, even substances that normally didn't burn like stone were set ablaze by the dragon's fearsome power. Close to her was Sir Jose and Pig Iron standing atop a large and growing pile of bodies. Kit noted that several of the slain defenders had arrows expertly placed in their eyes and necks, a sure sign that Maid was near as well. While her friends were indeed impressive and had inflict withering causalities to their foes, they were themselves covered in wounds and were slowly being pressed back. Magda had several deep bleeding wounds on her neck and torso, and Kit noted several of her ribs exposed. Sir Jose's armor was stained red with his own and his enemies blood, and Kit shuddered when she noted what appeared to be an axe imbedded into Pig Iron's head. Besides the dozen smaller red dragons and their Githyanki riders, there seemed to be hundreds of goblins and bugbears battling her allies. Kit also saw what appeared to be an equal number of black scaled ogre sized lizard men , and iron clad orc heavy infantry. Kit half suspected them to be illusions since she had not encountered any lizardmen or orcs in her foray of the fortress. With so many battling her comrades, she would have expected to find at least one or two, or some hint of their scent earlier. She wasn't sure why the dragon's fear attacks didn't send the horde into a panic, but guessed it was either Githyanki magic, or some type of enchantment on this fortress. More distressing than the enemy's unexpected allies was the fact that they blocked her path. As skilled as she was at hiding, Kit saw no way to slip through their ranks.

As the squire looked at the enemy's seemingly limitless forces, she suddenly noticed that the enemy ranks buckled and wavered. Kit half expected Sir Jose to burst through the bugbear tide, but instead the silent and bloodied dwarf Pig Iron muscles his way through, cleaving and hacking all through his path. Kit wasn't sure how the dwarf knew she was there, but nodded at him before seizing the opportunity he had given her. While the enemy was in disarray from the dwarf's charge, there were still many opponents in her path. Kit gritted her teeth and dashed past them, suffering several strikes along the way. Her skin saved her from most of the damage, but a few of the stronger strikes managed to upend her, and some of the more powerful bugbears and lizardmen even managed to draw blood. As Kit fell to the ground, a strong arm reached down and grabbed her. Kit saw it was Pig Iron again and the dwarf continued to storm back towards their lines, despite being struck and chopped by their enemies.

"Keeta! You're still alive!" exclaimed Sir Jose. "This changes everything , " he shouted at the massive dragon near him.

"Young Kitahria still lives? " roared Madeline. The great red wyrm noticed the sack that Kit clutched dearly to and suddenly seemed rejuvenated despite her dire wounds. " Kitahria lives and you shall die! ", she roared before unleashing a blast of blue flame that sent her foes scurrying. While Kit wasn't anywhere near the dragon's torrent of fire, even she felt the heat it emanated. Kit shuddered as she glanced at the blackened carnage it inflicted and noted frightfully that Magda's flame had caught one of the Githyanki Dragon riders and incinerated both the rider and the mount. While the pale astral warriors were at best warded from flame, red dragons even young ones were supposed to be immune. Madeline's fire obviously did not know the difference.

"Are my children alright? You didn't handle them roughly did you? " demanded Madeline as she snatched the sack from Kit.

"Errr…about that….", began Kit still reeling from her wounds.

"No falls, hard impacts, or bumps? " asked the dragon.

"Umm…maybe a …."

"You kept them at slightly warmer than room temperature? You didn't expose them to any magic? "

"Well….there was this….."

"By Tiamat! I owe you a debt of gratitude! " exclaimed the dragon as her eyes teared up.

"They are regrouping! Fall back, fall back! "shouted Maid while the enemy still reeled from the great wyrm's alpha strike. Although Kit could not see her friend, she found her voice reassuring as she continued to bleed from her wounds.

Sir Jose promptly grabbed his squire by the literal scruff of her neck, and hauled her aboard a large awaiting golden eagle. Kit hadn't spotted the eagle before, but knew right away it was Kaeda. She glanced at Madeline and saw Maid on her back and the unmistakeable form of Pig Iron in her claw. The great dragon lashed out its tail at the sundered gate that once stood, and boulder and debris began falling to mask their escape. Kit half hoped that the entire fortress would cave in, but sadly noted it had only suffered minor structural damage even from the great dragon's tail strike.

"I got the eggs," beamed Kit proudly as their small band sailed away.

Madeline nodded her massive draconic head in acknowledgement.

Jose grinned and flicked the top of his squire's head. "Keeta…your ears are showing."

* * *

The enemy gave little chase to the fleeing band. Kit wondered if it was because they had no desire to fight a massive dragon in her element, or the fact that Kaeda had conjured some minor weather magic to hinder their pursuit. Whatever the reason the group followed the shape changed druid into a mist shrouded mountain. Kit wasn't sure if they were going to crash into some granite wall, and instead was surprised when they entered a hidden sheltered valley. It was a very tranquil area, with its own fields, woods, river, and even a ring of standing stones. Kit wasn't sure how this area managed to fit into the mountain, but chalked it up to some powerful druidic magic.

When they finally landed in Kaeda's retreat, Kit was horrified to find that Pig Iron had succumbed to his injuries. An axe to the head, arrows in the back, and a spear to the side were too much even for him to handle. Kit didn't really know much about the unusual dwarf, but a sense of dread and her own mortality hit her. Pig Iron died rescuing her, without him she would be still in the fortress most likely slain. Kit didn't know much of his background , all she knew was that he was the broadest dwarf she had ever met, he was also some minor gangster that worked for the dwarven Teamsters, a mute, and could only communicate by pantomiming cats. It was a strange and outrageous combination but Kit could forgive his eccentricities since he had saved her life.

Kit wept tears for the dwarf as Kaeda laid him out in the meadow, but noticed oddly that none of her friends shared her sentiment. Sir Jose was busy attending to everyone's wounds with his paladin magic and prodigious use of healing wands and potions. Madeline was busy doting and sorting through the eggs to pick out her own. Not even Maid, who seemed closest to the dwarf paid any attention to him, though Kit did note she was sitting nearby on a rock, swinging her legs about while sitting on her hands.

"Doesn't anyone care about poor Pig Iron? " fumed Kit at the lack of respect shown to the fallen dwarven hero.

Maid shrugged, "Don't be so dramatic Kit. Kaeda's an accomplished druid, she'll bring him back."

Kit stopped and gave her a blank look. Kaeda wiped some ointments on the dwarf's corpse before standing up and nodding. The squire though the tall woman looked out of place and awkward in her form hugging flower dress, and could hardly believe that she could bring back the dead. The squire had experienced many forms of magic while under the tutelage of Mogombo, but seldom had she witnessed powerful divine magic. Most evil outsiders used arcane magic as a rule, and the rare divine spells they did use were generally the offensive ones. Kit of course had heard of spells that could bring back the dead, but this was the first time she would have witnessed it.

Kaeda seemed to sense she had an audience and seemed flustered by Kit's attention. She spoke several phrases that did not seem to be words at all. Kit thought it sounded like the wind, the river, an avalanche, and a crackling fire. The squire puzzled over how Kaeda vocal chords could form such words, when suddenly the dwarf's body vanished into dust.

"What…what happened?" demanded Kit to Maid, even as she blinked her eyes in disbelief. "I thought you said she was going to bring him back to life?"

Kaeda shook her head as she heard the question. " No..no…you've mistaken your spells. I do not infuse a body with energy like a cleric. Instead I create a new shell for the spirit to reside in ," explained the druid.

Kit scratched her head." Say what?"

"Clerics can raise the dead. Druids can reincarnate ", grumbled Jose as he walked over to attend Maid's injuries. The Innkeeper simply smiled at him and pointed to a half empty vial with Trent's unit insignia on it, before waving him away.

"He is correct. While many adventurers and people of power normally seek out clerics to perform second life rites to the deceased, druids offer a unique alternative that re-energizes the soul," replied Kaeda as she beamed a smile at the knight.

"I don't understand the difference " , asked Kit as she glared at the druid's smile. She noted it was lingering a bit more than she would like on her master.

"Well its easy, clerics can bring you back to life for roughly five grand worth of diamond dust, or a good chunk of my inn. An expensive spell only the rich can afford. Druids for roughly a fifth of that price, can bring you back, but most often in a different body. When I mean different , I mean you can comeback as an elf, a Halfling, even a kobold…and in some cases as a completely opposite gender. To druids it makes perfect sense, but it's a bit too random for some folks ," explained Maid .

"So…Pig Iron could come back as a goblin? ", asked Kit in disbelief. "That's ridiculous since he hates goblins!"

Kaeda pulled her glance away from Sir Jose and faced Kit once again. "We are not to question the ebbs and flows of the great circle of life. If the Blessed of Arcturus returns as something he hates, then it's the will of a higher power. "

Maid laughed lightly. "I just want to see if he comes back as something with proper vocal chords. I wanna hear what he sounds like when he talks. "

Kit chuckled at her friend's joke, but was suddenly startled when a pale hairy object bolted out from the woods and snatched their fallen comrade's gear. Kit was about to draw her kukri's to defend her fallen comrade's loot, but turned away in disgust when she saw who it was.

"Put on some clothes Pig Iron! ", she ordered as she turned away from the hairy naked dwarf.

"Meow", replied the dwarf as he wrinkled his nose at her.

Maid sighed at the development. "Well he doesn't look any different, but he can make some noise now. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing."

"I thought you said he would come back as something different?" inquired Kit.

Instead of Kaeda answering, the large rumbling voice of Magda was heard instead. "It's said those with strong will, or a powerful sense of self can determine what they come back as. A reincarnated dragon almost always returns as a dragon."

Kaeda nodded in agreement. "That's what I've been told, but it's not something one can easily test."

Kit thanked Kaeda for her service to the dwarf, and hugged Pig Iron as he was donning his gear. To her disgust and Maid's amusement, the dwarf began purring at her touch. Kit hopped back and then turned to regard Madeline.

"So what now? You've got your eggs, and since I'm not dead, I assume they are intact enough for your satisfaction, " asked Kit to the massive dragon.

Madeline craned her massive head next to Kit. Kit took a step back as she noted how her friend could easily gulp her down in one bite. Instead of attacking though, the great beast nudged her head affectionately against the squire. Kit expected to be tossed back by the mere touch of the dragon, but was surprised at how gentle she can be.

"Like I said before , I owe you a great debt of gratitude. Although I promised to leave these mountains when I recovered my eggs, I must now ask your permission to continue my battle against the Githyanki. They have gravely wronged me, and I shall visit upon them the vengeance only a red dragon can, " hissed the dragon.

Kit looked up at the massive Madeline and shook her head, "Shouldn't you be taking care of your children now? I'm sure you are destruction personified and oblivion incarnate, but Sir Jose and Lady Ogela will have things handled when they muster the knights of the region."

Madeline shook her draconic head and motioned towards Sir Jose who seemed preoccupied with the pretty druid. "I have already spoken to your lord. He has generously agreed to grant my eggs sanctuary in Erland's Keep. I feel they will be safe there, since it has previously held off a Githyanki army , and even fended myself off . He has also generously agreed to give them a thirty day head start from when they hatch. Plenty of time for the strong to prove themselves," stated the dragon softly.

"Thirty day head start? " puzzled Kit.

Madeline nodded slowly. "Yes. It should be a fair enough time for them to escape into the mountains. I suspect he will enlist your aid to hunt them down if possible."

Kit could not believe her ears. "Wait. We're gonna kill them? But..but….we went through all this trouble to rescue them from the Githyanki. Why would we want to kill them now? Infact…why won't you put up some type of defense for your own children?! You were heartbroken when I first found you, and now after they've been returned , you will cast them aside to let them fend for themselves? And a thirty day head start is the best you can do for them? "

"Kit, that is not the way of my people. If you do kill them it is because they were weak or slow. Even then you will only have to kill one or maybe two. The strongest amongst my brood will likely eat the weaker ones," stated Madeline with a stoic voice. While currently she wasn't shapechanged, Kit's keen werefox ears did not detect any emotion from the dragon's voice, but her predatory smell noted a heightened sense of anticipation and a small hint of fear. "Red dragons are not like lesser creatures. We are not like silly unicorns, fecund humans, noble werefoxes, or even our rivals the Gold dragons. Our entire culture is based on strength and power, and that begins the moment we are born. I care greatly for my children, enough so that I will tear up Essuria and all the Western Freeholds to find them, but I cannot interfere after they hatch. Please understand this, it may seem cold and heartless to outsiders but it is our way. When I was broke free from my shell, my older sister of a few minutes ate my brother and almost ate myself. I was quick enough to flee and given an opportunity to grow and gain my strength. I encountered my sister again much later in my life, and my strength allow me to be victorious over her. I expect nothing less of my own children. Our traditions might seem barbaric but it ensures that Red Dragons live up to their fearsome power and reputation. I only ask for the head start to my own children, but I do hope you extend this to the other eggs as well. I will understand if you don't but they deserve some small chance of survival, " asked the dragon. Kit noted the last plea had a hint of weariness that finally broke through in Madeline's voice.

The pair's conversation gained the attention of the rest of their group. While Pig Iron scratched himself against a wooden stump and Maid seemed content to just listen in, Kaeda and Sir Jose voiced their opinions.

"You must respect Magda's traditions. It is similar to many creatures in nature. Tiger sharks and squirrels also exhibit this behavior. The golden eagles that are dear to my heart often lay two eggs. The one that hatches first matures faster and out muscles the weaker one for food. Most go so far as even devouring their smaller kin when food is scarce. It is a harsh reality but it does ensure a strong bloodline," explained Kaeda.

Sir Jose snorted in approval. " You've seen first hand the destruction of one red dragon, imagine the state of the world if there were three times the number," added the knight.

Kit shook her head in defiance, "I…I still can't believe this. I've never been a mother, but surely you must have some instinct to pass your knowledge and wisdom to your children? If you want them to become powerful it seems logical to teach them how to survive first before…before abandoning them."

Magda's stone cold visage seemed to waver at the word abandon, but the dragon quickly regained her composure. "As I've said before, my people are unique. It is difficult to explain to non dragons, but we all possess a sort of racial memory . Not only that, but believe it or not we are semi aware even when we are eggs. I fondly remember the tales my mother told me and the love she expressed to me before I hatched. I suspect that when my own brood hatches they will recognize you for rescuing them. My only regret is that the Githyanki has stolen from me the scant time I should have been with my children, which is why I am asking for your permission to resume my hunt of our mutual enemy through your mountains. " The dragon towered over her, and Kit guessed that if Madeline wanted she could have used her dragon fear or whatever her overwhelming supernatural presence attack was called to cow her into submission, but instead the dragon appeared humble enough to await Kit's decision.

Kit glanced and saw Sir Jose studying her closely. The knight awaited her decision and she felt judged by his stare. A perfectly valid observation she thought, since her reply to Madeline would determine if a massive engine of destruction would be unleashed into the Freeholds.

Kit closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I agree to allow you to remain in the mountains till you exact your vengeance, but you must also agree that I will be granted guardianship over your children. I didn't risk life and limb just to watch them eat each other. I won't interfere if their racial memory or whatever drives them to flee , but I will attempt to raise them in a manner that won't see them butcher each other. I use to believe in this vicious circle of the strong needs to be stronger by preying on the weak, but I've seen there is another way. I was lucky enough to be given that opportunity and I want your brood to have that same chance," declared the squire defiantly.

Kaeda looked shocked. "Kit, I know you mean well, but this is madness. You can't disrupt the natural order like this. One dragon , regardless of color, is a heavy enough burden in any environment, twenty dragons is unheard of. "

"A griffon is an alpha predator as well, but the Order of the Griffon has thousands of them under their sway. I'm not suggesting I domesticate Madeline's children, but I'm sure I can find a way for them to get by without causing some ecological disaster," defended Kit.

"You know Kit I've fought young dragons while I was a squire under Sir Rollo. One is a surprisingly vicious foe, two, three, and especially twenty might be too much for both you and I to handle. I fear if you embark on this little social experiment of yours , you will end up getting the both of us eaten," warned Sir Jose. Kit looked at her master in despair. She had expected some support from him, but then noted he did use the phrase 'both of us' a few times . While the knight had expected her to fail, he at least volunteered to help , which was enough for Kit.

"In Kit's defense I think she would make a great…mother," teased Maid who seemed to find the whole thing hilarious. Kit glared at her friend , but instead of finding a sarcastic mocking smirk, Maid gave her a warm smile and a knowing wink in support.

"Meow, MEOW, meow!" responded the now vocal Pig Iron. Kit shuddered at the dwarf, and thought he was stranger now then before.

"Errr…the chosen of Arcturus says, ' look at me , I want attention' ," translated Kaeda.

"ENOUGH!" roared Magda in a voice that shook both the trees in the valley and the mountains themselves. The dragon's claws dug deep into the earth of the valley, rending the soil and eventually the harden rock underneath. Kit involuntarily ducked, and wonder if the dragon had tipped off their location to the Githyanki, and if she did would they dare attack her while she was in such an enraged state.

"I agree to your trivial terms! My wrath knows no bounds, and I will make a deal with Asmodeus himself if it will spare my honor and grant me vengeance against my foes. I shall make an example of these Githyanki and show them their place, all who cross me shall know my fiery wrath! " declared the dragon as powerful waves of her dragon fear emanated from her for several seconds.

The dragon's speech left Kit both speechless and shaken. She briefly turned away from the dragon, unable to look at her directly while she was consumed by such rage, but when she turned back she was gone. In her place was Madeline's human form , still clad in the violet and black aristocratic dress that Maid had given her. She walked up to Kit and there was a humble air to her that was in stark contrast to the anger she had just exhibited.

"If my brood doesn't run away, it won't be too much of an indulgence if I you grant me a visit with them , will it?" Madeline asked with pleading eyes.

Kit smiled. "As long as they haven't eaten me first," she laughed.

"Well, if terms of child visitation have been set. I think we have a greater concern, " declared Maid as she began unrolling several maps on the ground. "While I did not manage to rescue any of the eggs like Kit, I did find some disturbing information."


	31. Chapter 31

"What have I gotten myself into….," grumbled Kitahria. The squire grimaced as she gazed at the small mountain of dragon eggs.

Kit had thought Madeline would be taking care of them, but she was deep in a planning session with Sir Jose and Maid. The werefox squire recalled the Innkeeper mentioning something about discovering their enemies' plans, and was deep in strategic planning with the knight and the dragon. It was some incredible tale about time travelling and space displacement and other nonsense that soon bored the squire. Kit remembered Maid explaining how she was able to infiltrate the Githyanki's inner council while unsuccessfully searching for the dragons. She had recovered some maps, journals, and ledgers from their foe. Kit was surprised the young Innkeeper could read the Githyanki tongue but Maid shrugged it off casually.

Kit was sure her allies were discussing something important, but currently she had other concerns.

The squire had taken leave and laid her small brood neatly on one of the woven blankets that Kaeda had offered them when they reached this hidden mountain valley. She stared at them in despair and wondered how it came to this.

While she had truly meant what she said about assuming guardianship of the eggs, she thought that Madeline would have overruled her. The great dragon did not seem like the type to tolerate having terms dictated to her. While Kit respected and in a way found Madeline endearing, she expected her to rage, rant, and threaten violence at her proposal. The squire never actually assumed she would be the sworn protector of twenty odd dragon eggs.

Madeline's voice seemed haughty and dismissive at the time, claiming vengeance was a greater motivator for her, but Kit sensed that the dragon merely hid her emotion under that fierce facade. Kit knew in her heart that her friend cared about her eggs, as well as the eggs of others, but pride and an ancient unforgiving tradition held her back.

At least she hoped that was the case.

In the back of Kit's mind, she wondered if Magda was inwardly laughing at the fate that would soon befall her. Being killed by a colossus fire breathing dragon, a towering giant, or even bloodthirsty demons was one thing, but to be torn apart by a hungry pack of baby dragons was another. From the sounds of it, the baby dragons were fairly self-sufficient and ready for battle when they hatched. Even if Kit could survive this tiny draconic onslaught, would she have the strength to subdue them, and prevent them from eating both her and turning on themselves? Would all her efforts be in vain? Would the dragons end up killing each other and fleeing into the mountains anyways? Possibly razing Erland's Hold, and the entire town of Essuria in the process.

Kit sighed and shook her head. She wondered why she held onto her fool's hope so tightly. Was it really because she did not want to see all her rescue efforts go to waste or was it something deeper?

The squire knew the eggs situation mirrored her own past. She was snatched from her parents and her tribe when she was just a young fox kit by the evil outsider Mogombo. The Rakshasa lord wanted a soldier, or more accurately a pet assassin, that resembled his shape shifting race outwardly but had different sets of immunities and powers. It was a clever ploy, that had even fooled the baroness Stille and the Ivory Lady. It didn't fool Sir Jose though, who spared her life and took her under her wing. Kit wondered longingly at what her life would have been like if Mogombo did not destroy her tribe, and shuddered at what she would have become if she had not been rescued by Sir Jose.

"No, not rescued," stated Kit as she reflected on her thoughts. "Redeemed," she added with a smile.

Kit wasn't a seer or an oracle. She couldn't see what fate held for her if things were different, but she did know she had a sense of pride and purpose now, that she would never had possessed under Mogombo. She had never met another werefox but she was not impressed at the stories she had heard of them. For all purposes they seemed to be bandits and tricksters and that preyed and seduced travellers on the fringes of society. They weren't inherently evil and malicious but they weren't exactly shining paragons of virtue. Kit could not live like that, especially not after being shown the light. Kit wondered if it was pride or blind arrogance that held that view, but she did know that the eggs under her care deserved the same chance she received.

The squire smiled and gently petted the eggs. Who's to say that these dragons would wind up as murderous ravenous brutes? Kit had no illusion of what Magda had done or was capable of doing, but she did acknowledge there was a noble spirit buried under that mountain of fury and scales. Perhaps if given the opportunity, these little dragons could embrace the positive aspects of Madeline?

Kit considered her last thought and laughed lightly at herself.

"They'll no doubt grow up into a small army of draconic paladins," she cooed as she stroked the eggs tenderly.

As Kit mused about the futures of her brood, a soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Jose wants you back to the meeting, possibly to hear what you saw in the Githyanki base," said Kaeda.

Kit didn't see much and looked at the druid suspiciously. She saw she was still wearing the red flowery dress that Maid had given her. It was slightly too short and too tight for the tall shapely druid's frame, and Kit wondered why she hadn't changed into something more rustic. More importantly, the squire noted the familiar way she referred to her lord by not using his title of Sir. Kit sometimes called him simply as Jose as well, but it was different and more intimate when Kaeda said it. It wasn't like the druid's and the knight's relationship was a secret, but it just felt wrong to Kit. She didn't have anything against Kaeda, she was a powerful if untested spellcaster and she had a pleasant enough personality. Knights like her lord were supposed to rescue and sweep beautiful maidens off their feet, but it seemed uncomfortably too soon after his break up with the Lady Stille and was also especially odd considering Sir Jose's previous protest about trusting druids.

Kaeda looked at Kit and seemed oblivious to the squire's wary thoughts. "I'll keep watch over your eggs for you but despite Magda's concern they are fairly hardy and sturdy."

Kit nodded and straightened her armor and appearance; best to be presentable before her lord.

"Kit, "spoke Kaeda as the squire was walking away, "before you go, I want you to know you are doing a good thing. Beasts and monsters have behaviors that are natural to them, but it doesn't mean they can't change. While some creatures can never be tamed, I believe in my heart they can be trained."

Kit paused and was a bit confused by that statement. "You mentioned golden eagles eat their siblings earlier. Did you try to change their behavior?" she asked as she turned to face the druid.

"I did , and I failed ," she said in a half choking voice. "However it is a noble endeavor and I wish you the best of luck and lend whatever aid I can," she added as she quickly recomposed herself.

Kit nodded and turned back to walk towards Sir Jose's meeting with a heavy heart. If a druid can't even stop eagle chicks from devouring each other, what chance would she have with dragons.

* * *

Kit found her lord sitting on a stone near a large tree. Another larger flat boulder was near him, and several maps and documents were laid out on top of it. Maid was busy fussing over the papers while , Madeline scanned over them in her less cumbersome human form.

"The Githyanki aren't from this timeline? Are you sure about this?" asked Sir Jose as he gave a cursory glance at the maps again.

Maid shrugged. "It's just a guess. Their journals paint a wild story about a rift opening up and sending them into the future. The Githyanki guess its roughly a hundred year jump. This is supported by the fact that most of the maps I recovered are over a hundred years old, except a few with Mayor Gregor's stamp on it. "

Sir Jose did not seem too impress with her statement. " Time travellers eh? They might have left some false clues or something, or they might have been confused about their situation. Are you sure your translation is correct?"

Maid shot him an icy gaze. "Gith is not my primary tongue, but I am confident enough in my competency in translating it. However improbable that our foes come from the distant past , it is their conclusion not my own, " she said while poking several leather bound tomes.

The big knight chuckled at the comment.

"In the Innkeeper's defense, her translation does roughly support the events we've seen. Though it is far before your time, roughly a hundred years ago was when the last great Githyanki Invasion occurred. I was drawn towards that battle, but I only watched from the fringes. There were roughly six of those Githyanki Astral Fortresses that invaded; fearsome mountains that floated in the sky and blotted the sun, but only five were accounted for when the battle was finished. This could be the very same missing fortresses," noted Madeline as she studied the documents.

"You were in the Githyanki wars a century ago?" asked Kit with wide eyes.

Madeline's face grew red in embarrassment. "No, I was attracted to the battle because I smelled the scent of my kin. I was hoping to find a …mate…but the males I found were not even worthy to be considered red dragons yet."

Sir Jose frowned at her oddly personal statement, and continued with his questioning. "Yes, but time travel? It seems fairly farfetched."

Maid shook her head and Kit caught the hint of a smug smile on her face. "Oh time distortions are common enough. In the years of the Long Winter there were great mists that trapped armies and nations for hundreds of years , suspended in time. I know this first hand since my own little village was also stuck in such a time warp. "

"Chaos or wild magic zones are also known to produce time altering effects. They are very rare but they do arise when unprecedented displays of arcane energy are unleashed," commented Madeline. " Typically around wizard towers, mystic cities, or great battles, like the Githyanki invasion a hundred years ago, " added the dragon as she recomposed herself.

Sir Jose scowled . Kit giggled silently as she knew he hated being talked down to by the two women. " Okay , let's say you're correct. Let's say they are time hopping space zombies .."

"..astral warrior mages.." stated Maid.

Sir Jose grew even more red, while Kit motioned to the Innkeeper to stop antagonizing her lord. As humorous as it was , the squire knew making her lord mad wouldn't accomplish anything except distracting them from their purpose.

"So these time hopping astral warrior mages are stuck in our time away from their buddies. That might explain the extensive damage their flying hunk of rock has sustained, but this works to our favor doesn't it. They are cut off from their buddies and further support, and that makes them easy pickings right?" asked the knight.

Maid grew grim at the Sir Jose's musings. "Unfortunately that isn't the case. From their journals, after they repaired and resupplied their fortress they think they can travel back and rejoin the battle they lost. They already they have conscripted the fiercest of the bugbear and giant tribes to their side, and despite our efforts to cripple their adamant ore production, their notes claim they have sufficient amounts to enact basic structural repairs to their base. A partially complete Astral fortress is still a formidable obstacle. "

Kit seemed baffled by her statement. "If this is the case, shouldn't we just let them go. Let them pack up all their troops and head back to their doom. They obviously lose a hundred years ago, so we should just help them along to their defeat."

Madeline snorted smoke, an impressive feat since she was still in her humanoid form. " If it was only that simple. I can go on and on about the theories about temporal magic, but only the dwarf that thinks he's a cat can live long enough to hear me out. The gist of it is that time is like a river going downhill. The water always flows top to bottom. Even if someone was to take a bucket from downstream and dump it back at some point upstream, it will make little difference . Small changes are unnoticeable compared to the power of the …river so to speak. However, if someone was to redirect, let's say a flying mountain's worth of water from downstream back upstream….well who knows what will happen. The river might stay unchanged, but I suspect there would be am a time paradox of global proportions. To continue my analogy, massive flooding or worse yet, the course of the river might be forever altered."

"When she means flooding, she means more areas of chaos or wild magic. Time distortions, unexplained zombie uprisings, weaknesses in the fabric of reality, random ghosts, spontaneous appearances by the deck of many things, sightings of the god of Chaos and all that type of nonsense," added Maid.

"This would explain why they haven't turned to their Githyanki kin for help. They wish to contain any time paradoxes they cause. They are quite happy to take what they want , sunder this world into ruins and then leave afterwards to the astral plane. Githyanki are better known as raiders not conquerors," commented Madeline with a distasteful tone.

Sir Jose pondered their statements and scratched his chin. "Alright, if the enemy can plunge our world into chaos simply by escaping, why haven't they done so yet? "

Maid grinned and pointed a finger directly at the knight.

Sir Jose gave a puzzled look and then pointed to himself.

The innkeeper shook her head and redirected her finger to slightly above his shoulders.

Sir Jose glanced backwards to see if there was someone behind him, but saw nothing but his captured blade. "This silver sword? They want it that badly, that they would risk their battle plans for it?"

"The Githyanki have weird traditions. Their unyielding hatred for their former masters the mind flayers, their fierce rivalry with their brothers the enigmatic Githzerai , and of course the value they place on their mystic silver blades. Weapons that secure their place as one of the most lethal denizens of the aether," explained Maid.

Sir Jose considered her statement carefully. " Yes, I recall several of those guys that painted their blades silver . I guess this blade is something like a status symbol or something, like a dancing horse, a trophy wife or some fancy gilded armor right?"

"Errr….yeah something like that, "replied Maid. "I doubt they would leave this time or dimension until they recover the blade. Their journals aren't specific, but the latest entries mentioned another organized strike to reclaim it. They say they will track the wielder down and attack in force."

Sir Jose chuckled, "Well, that's another strike against your Githyanki reading comprehension. If they were gonna strike me down in force they would have done so by now. "

Maid and Madeline both shrugged, with no answers for the knight.

Kit considered his statement then her eyes grew wide. "Wait, if they value these blades that much, they probably suspect we value them a like amount. If this was true, then they expect the blade to be in our most secured vault or in the hands of our greatest warrior."

Sir Jose gave a cocky smirk to his squire. "Hello? The blade is already in the hands of our greatest warrior. I don't want to brag, but I've been told I'm a pretty good swordsman, and not just by the ladies. "

Maid rolled her eyes. "I think Kit refers to Lady Ogela, the Knight Commander of the Order of the Lion. This would explain why they didn't track us when we left Essuria. The eyes and ears of the Githyanki probably followed Lady Ogela's forces when they left the town. "

"Wait, if that's the case. Then that means their next attack will be against the Keep of the Lion in Sasserine. It's not a fortified town like Essuria, it's a sprawling trading port. They rely on their militia and army patrols for defense; much of the city isn't even behind walls. If the Githyanki deployed even half the forces they sent to Essuria, it would be a massacre! "exclaimed Kit.

Sir Jose nodded. "Well that makes our next course of action easy. Everyone get some rest. Tomorrow, we head to the coast. "


	32. Chapter 32

Kitahria had expected a long march back to Essuria and then eventually to Sasserine . In her mind she saw Sir Jose driving their group forwards on a treacherous force march over the mountains, but instead they were taking a much faster and much direct route. While Madeline had wisely refrained from traveling in her dragon form since the sight of a massive flying dragon would alert their foes, the group made rapid progress mounted on Kaeda, her eagle cohort and surprisingly Greenpaw.

The familiar great green husky would normally bound and hop easily through the slopes and forests of the mountains, but had miraculously sprouted large feathery wings. Kit also noted an almost celestial aura that radiated from it. She figured a part of Sir Jose's divine energy was responsible for his transformation. Despite its startling angelic transformation, Greenpaw happily barked and lapped at the squire's face in familiar fashion when the paladin had summoned it.

While Kaeda's shape changed eagle form was expected, Kit did not think the druid would had summoned another animal companion already. The squire voiced her question, but Maid told her it only took roughly 24 hours to summon a new one. While this new eagle looked superficially liked the previous one that was slain by the Githyanki, this new bird seemed a bit smaller with darker feathers. Kit also noticed that Kaeda seemed to employ her new mount more cautiously , and wondered if it was because she was still getting use to her new servant, or if she was being overly cautious from guilt of her previous companion's demise.

Whatever their mode of transformation, Kit was glad that they were flying not marching. The squire had little sleep from the previous night, especially from the sounds of Kaeda and Sir Jose's coupling. While the pair were discrete, Kit could hear every moan , pant, and grunt from the pair with her enhanced hearing. She could have closed her hearing to the two and shifted her ears to their human form, but her curiosity proved too great. It wasn't like it was the first time she heard the sounds of love making, but there was something both repulsive and darkly fascinating about it. It was like watching two market vendor's cart collide and their wares scattering everywhere, she knew she shouldn't stare at the wreck but she was still drawn to it. She wondered if it was because Sir Jose had become somewhat of a father figure to her and she felt a personal stake was involved, or more likely she was simply just a bad nosy person that like to snoop into others personal affairs.

Kit dismissed the source of her curiosity as she concentrated back on the task on hand. The non-flying members of the group was divided oddly in her opinion. The squire expected Kaeda and Sir Jose together but instead the dwarf rode the druid. Sir Jose was partnered with Madeline of all people on Greenpaw , while Maid , the eggs, and herself were on the companion eagle.

While Maid and herself got along fairly well, the same could not be said with the others. The shape changed dragon was curt and polite, and Jose exuded all his courtly graces, but Kit could still see the tension between them. The pair had a violent history together, and just a few weeks ago they were attempting to kill each other; such animosity could be overcome by a common cause but could not simply disappear. Thankfully the pair had enough control to suffer each others company till their common enemy had been vanquished.

Meanwhile Kaeda had insisted that the Blessed of Arcturus was mounted on her when she took eagle form.

"Meow! Hisss… Meow! ", complained Pig Iron as he yelled his displeasure from the back of the druid. Despite her inability to speak cat , Kit could tell he had a fairly evident hatred of heights.

"I bet Kaeda wished she saddled up to Sir Jose, I bet he could ride her better than the dwarf ", snickered Kit to Maid.

Maid shot the squire a harsh look. "You know Kit, its rude to poke into the private affairs of others. "

Kit was taken aback by the curt response and was at a lost for words.

"We already lost Pig Iron once. I talked to Kaeda and she only has enough ointments to perform possibly one more reincarnation. Things are going to get much more dangerous, and you've seen the true face of our enemy. It's not going to be foolish goblins or dim witted giants from now on. I…I fear not all of us are going to make it, "explained Maid sadly. " I think those two know that as well. I know you are close to Sir Jose and it's a natural reaction to ridicule or disparage that what you can't have, but please respect their privacy in this dark time. "

Kit was shocked. Not at the fact that Maid expected them to die, but the way she had interpreted her relationship with Sir Jose.

Did Maid think she was jealous of Kaeda? It was ridiculous. She was close to Jose, but she always thought of him more as a teacher not as a love interest. The squire fumed and wanted to argue with her friend , but no words came.

" Truth be known. I'm jealous as well . Not for your lord, but just for…. someone to hold before this last battle, "admitted Maid.

Kit nodded and understood the Innkeeper clearly now. She had already guessed who that someone was; he was three foot tall with a sharp mind and a heart of a lion.

"This isn't your fight you know. Sir Jose and I are bound by oaths to defend the Western Freeholds, this is our job , this is what we do. You can always leave and start another life somewhere else. You might lose your inn, and be eyeball in debt to the Dwarven Teamsters, but at least you'll be alive. I don't have much gold, but you're welcome to it if you're gonna make a fresh start, " offered Kit.

Maid turned to Kit and smiled. Her curly auburn hair and bright smile were radiant, but there was a hint of sadness in it. "I know I can leave whenever I want. In fact, out of all of us, I think I have the highest chance to slip away unseen. As soon as any of you leave the mountains, the Githyanki will track you down with their divination spells. I've learned methods that makes it hard to pin point me with magic, "stated the Innkeeper.

"I couldn't leave you guys now. You guys aren't just friends. Since I left the plateau , you guys are the closest thing to family I've found. Even Pig Iron has risked life and limb for me, I couldn't abandon you guys now even if it meant dying. " Maid's visage turned grim and her eyes were downcast. Despite her change in demeanor Kit found strength and comfort in her friend's second statement.

"We've come this far without dying, I'm sure it will all work out," whispered Kit half believing her own statement.

* * *

The group flew swiftly to Essuria and it did not take long to realize that their worst fears were realized. An attack had been launched on Sasserine, and Sergeant Trent and his Outriders had already been mobilized to reinforce the port city. Refugees that had recently fled the mining town were already streaming back.

"Thousands of goblins! "

"Tribes of Giants! "

"Dragons like locusts! "

"A flying mountain! " ,were some of the rumors spread by the evacuees.

"I can understand the Githyanki attacking Sasserine, but surely they realize that the Silver Sword they seek is not there by now. At the very least Lady Ogela would point out to them that she doesn't have it," wondered Kaeda.

Sir Jose was about to speak, but Madeline shook her head and answered first. "No, from what I know of the Knights of the North, and especially of Lady Ogela, that is the last thing she would reveal to her foes. She would rather die, and take her entire detachment of knights with her than to reveal information to her enemies, " explained the dragon.

"But why? Innocents are endangered, countless lives will be lost because she stuck with her principals," puzzled the druid.

"Let's say Ogela told them the blades location, how many innocents and lives would be lost then if the enemy is given their weapon back?" pointed out the Knight. "The Githyanki aren't exactly a benevolent but misunderstood force. They are slavers and raiders, that had attempted and failed to devastate this world in the past. Even if they leave this time line peacefully, they intend to inflict as much damage as they can during the chaos one hundred years ago . While Ogela doesn't know their true intentions, she's the type of person that would rather make it her problem than someone else's. She's been trained by Sir Tusk, Grand Champion Erland, the Legendary Zahax, and the The Mistress of the Lionblade. Great heroes that rather fighter than talk. She won't back down from a fight. "

"The Knights of the Snow Lion also have a formidable stronghold in Sasserine. It's warded from aerial attacks and its location makes it easy to reinforce and supply against a long siege. Even if the rest of the port city around it burns and crumbles, the Lion Knights can withstand a prolonged siege, " added Madeline.

Kit peered at the shape changed dragon and gave her an inquisitive stare.

Madeline simply grinned. "I scouted that area first before I tracked Gregor and my eggs here. The City was easy enough to infiltrate, but the Lion's stronghold was warded against my simple guises. I believe that pile of boulders is called Kalinka's Keep. A triple ringed castle bristling with ballista and …ahem…dragon golems. Regardless, I took stock of their defenses in case I had to deal with them in the future. "

Kit shifted uncomfortably at that revelation and wondered if Magda was currently scouting out Erland's Hold for a future attack.

Sir Jose on the other hand seemed delighted with the news. "Excellent, there's a good chance we'll see some action before this is all over then."


	33. Chapter 33

Kitahria grinned from ear to ear. It was like the time that Mogombo first armed her with kukris or when Sir Jose rewarded her with a squire's tunic.

As the half dozen hill giants bore down on the squire, she thanked the gods at the gift given her. Too long had she fought against devils from other planes, giant constructs piloted by gnomes, or even wizards from the aether. Kit needed something she could happily hack apart and exert her power on, and the giants fit the bill nicely. The squire was trained in finding both their weak spots and dodging their blows, a perfect victim for her to relieve her stress on. While Sir Jose warned her against the sins of pride, or to take pleasure in the killing arts, the giants were both a blight on the land and one of the enemies' staunches allies. In Kit's book, enjoying bloodshed against giants wasn't a weakness of character but the act of a good deed.

The first giant roared a booming battle cry as he charged the squire. It was a hulk of a beast, towering over 12 feet tall, with a body rippling in muscle. It raised its great knotted club high above his head and brought down on his small target. It chortled in a loud voice as his weapon slammed into his foe, cracking the stone beneath her but was shocked to see her standing nimbly on top of his club a second later.

Kit curtsied slightly before practically skipping up the weapon. Before the giant could react, the Squire had raced up the club and the length of its arm and leaped forward towards its face. The rest of the enemy mob was collectively mesmerized as she twirled like a top, her curved daggers flashing like lightning before striking the first giant's face.

The giant fell back screaming horribly as it clutched its face, fluid from its burst eye and blood dribbled down as its face even as Kit sprang towards her next foe. The next giant swatted at her with his axe, and swung his shield in a wide arc in the hopes of avoiding its leader's fate. To its surprise , Kit disappeared under his frenzied onslaught and for a moment he thought he had vanquished his red haired foe. Its hope was short lived though, as a sudden sharp pain erupted on both sides of its neck as it felt its throat being ripped apart. The giant dropped its axe as it grasped as it neck, even as it lost all power in its leg and crashed face first into the ground.

Kit yipped in victory and snarled at the remaining giants, even as she balanced precariously on her victim now thrashing face first on the ground . She half expected her remaining foes to flee and from her savage display and her faith was bolstered as they seem to hesitate at their growling opponent. Her hopes were dashed however as a particularly fat and brutish looking giant lumbered forward in a berserk head long rush. Kit attempted to dodge her latest opponent by jumping to the left, but the sheer bulk of the giant was too great to avoid. The great girth of her opponent clipped her as she lept, its tremendous mass sent her spinning helplessly into the ground.

Kit crashed into a tree and fell amongst its roots, but still managed to hold on to her weapons. Her small victory was short lived though as a massive spiked club slammed into her back. Kit's light leather armor did little to save her from the attack , though her enchanted skin did spare her from being pierced . Despite her magical protection, she was battered senseless from the blow and coughed blood from the heavy impact.

Kit struggled to her knee, knowing full well that another attack would end her. She braced for the coming blow but none came as the world briefly flashed before her eyes. Kit was confused to say the least as she was surrounded by a bright glow and was tossed into a patch of bush.

Kit was disorientated even as she saw what appeared to be four giants beating a tree with their clubs. Even as her head spun , it took her a few seconds till she realized she was watching where she had previously stood.

"Stupid girl! ", hissed a voice into Kit's ear. "Your master told you to lead the giants into the ambush he prepared, not to fight them all yourself. Be glad my conjuration magic was able to summon you towards me before those giants squashed you flat."

Kit took a second as she collected her thoughts and saw it was Madeline scolding her. The woman with the red gold hair crouched low, but still appeared intimidating despite wearing a white trimmed black noblewoman's dress.

Kit cringed slightly at her rebuff, but relaxed when the dragon woman's stern gaze turned to a smile. "I've been ordered by Sir Jose to withhold my power till we reach Sasserine. Of course I don't take orders from anyone, least of all a knight, but I do see the sense of his words."

As Madeline lectured Kit, the squire noticed the giants had stopped their attack against the tree. The particularly fat and ugly one began sniffing the air and then turned to Madeline and her location. It pointed angrily and the small band of giants charged their location.

"While I do owe your master a few favors from the past, namely killing my weak husband ages ago and assisting me in rescuing my children, to demand tasks from one such as myself is unheard of. However I will take his suggestion to not reveal my true form to heart as it will enable me to draw closer to my true enemies before striking them all down, " continued Madeline oblivious to the threat bearing down on them.

Kit on the other hand took a combat stance and readied her weapons once again. While she was bested by strength of numbers the first time, the ranks of her foes were thinned and she was more wary of their strength this time.

"This current form is amusing to me, but it does restrict my magnificent strength . " Madeline pirouetted once showing off her humanoid form. Kit had little time for such nonsensical frivolous displays even though she found herself slightly jealous at the full figured form of the shape changed dragon adorned in Maid's form fitting dress. " However, my power is not restricted to the sharpness of my claws or the heat of my breath."

Madeline's eyes then flared a terrible red. Kit winced as she felt an overwhelming power emanating form her. The squire was ready to see fireballs and lightning bolts rain down on the giants but instead a hint of a grey fog settled on them before dissipating into the air.

Several of the giants stopped in confusion including the large fat one that had knocked Kit down earlier. The anger in their eyes drained as blank expressions filled their gazes. One of the other giants behind the fat one continued its charge and pushed his comrade fellow. The fat giant snarled and suddenly turned on his comrade, though Kit noticed its eyes were still empty. The melee quickly expanded and soon the small band of giants soon began to fight amongst themselves , with mace , axe , and club.

Kit gaped at the spectacle even as the giants tore each other apart.

Madeline turned to her, and her visage turned terrible , more akin to a demon than a noblewoman or even a dragon.

* * *

"I thought I told you to lead the giants to us," growled Sir Jose. The knight inspected the wounds on Kit's back and shook his head. The squire thought she suffered only a few bruises, but apparently some of the spikes in the fat giant's club managed to pierce her back , narrowly missing her lungs. She attributed her lack of self-awareness on the adrenaline that pumped through her blood as she battled her foes. Her bloodlust was similar to a barbarian's rage except with less shield biting and foaming at the mouth.

Kit knew she had done wrong. Their group were making their way to Sasserine when they spotted this band of giants raiding a small settlement. Jose thought it prudent to eliminate this threat before continuing and hastily set up a trap to smash them, using terrain and elevation to their advantage. She was given orders to lead the giants to this ambush, but instead her bloodlust got the best of her. Kit grew red at the prospect of explaining why she disregarded her orders but before she could apologize, Madeline spoke up in her defense.

"It was not the girl's fault. I saw an opportunity and I seized it," explained the shape changed Dragon in a droll voice. " While I understand the importance of not revealing my dragon form, if I see a pack of giants bunched together for a spell, I take advantage of the situation."

Jose glared at Madeline then turned back to Kit. Kit could tell her friend's statement did little to sway her lord. "We only got a taste of the enemy's power when they repulsed us at their supply depot. The full might of their astral fortress will be arrayed against us this time around. We have no time for you to follow what you think is best," warned the knight as he placed his left hand on Kit's injured back.

A pulse of cleansing energy mended Kit's wounds even as she regretted her previous actions.

Kit nodded with her head low. "Yes sir. "

"Rest your back now. I'll see if the giants have any supplies we can salvage and if we can lend any aid to the local villagers. We continue our way to Sasserine in an hour, " ordered the knight as he made his way towards the giants that had torn themselves apart under Madeline's spell.

Kit breathed a sigh of relief at the light scolding she received, then turned to Madeline . " Thank you. I was willing to shoulder his punishment, but I appreciate what you said there."

Madeline shrugged dismissively. "I fear not your lord's sword and I definitely don't care about any verbal lashings he might give me," she chuckled. "Besides, it was partially true what I said. My sorcery was getting a bit rusty, it was nice to defeat an opponent once in a while purely with the use of magic. "

Kit nodded, then a puzzled look came to her face. "Hey , about that magic stuff. That wasn't simple hedge wizardry you did there. That was powerful forbidden magics you used on those giants."

Madeline faced briefly contorted at Kit's words as if she were insulted. Kit took a step back but the dragon's scowl quickly vanished as quick as it had appeared. "Forbidden magic? Forbidden to whom? Certainly not to dragons I can assure you. If you hadn't heard by now, dragons are magic. It is in our blood and the central fabric of our being. Do you think we fly simply because we have great leathery wings, or we breathe fire because we exhale some explosive flammable gas at our foes? Ridiculous! Dragon's fly because we command the magic of the skies, and our breath weapons are due to some ancient pact that binds the elements to us. Our very blood is a conduit of the arcane, and we manipulate magic as elves work wood and dwarves work rock, " declared the dragon with a bemused look.

Kit raised an eyebrow at the statement. "You defeated those giants with a single spell, if you're so good with magic and it's a part of your being, why don't I see you use it more often?"

Madeline considered her statement and sighed. "Pride mostly I guess. When I first met you, I told you I was a sorceress and that was not far from the truth. As a dragon grows older our ability with spells grows till we rival the greatest wizards of the land. However, despite our mastery over all things mystic, most of us disdain its use. Some like my distant cousin Dalton the Red embrace magic over his own draconic attributes, but the rest of us see it as a crutch. "

Kit scratched her head. "Wait, so you guys are like those Githyanki warrior mages, but instead of perfecting your skill at weaving blade and spell, you choose one or the other?"

Madeline nodded. "That is a simplification but basically its correct. While most of us do employ some minor enchantment magic before a battle, there are a few of us that reject its use. We see it as a weakness to depend on magic to smite your foes, when our cunning, flame, and strength are all we need. Many dragons go so far as to even shun the use of magical items, a great irony since we spend all our lives gathering it."

Kit was shocked,"Why? Why handicap yourselves like that?"

Madeline smiled and pointed at Kit's Kukris in response. "Those are your favorite blades are they not? I've seen you use them more than any other weapon."

Kit nodded."Yes. I use them because they are the weapons I trained the most in. "

The dragon then brought her fingers to her chin. "You are skilled in the bow are you not? Or at least a crossbow or a blow gun?"

Kit nodded again, she was skilled in most forms of martial weapons and considered herself quite accurate with the bow.

"I think it would be much safer for you , if you used a bow more often in battle. If not safe, then at least tactically more feasible. Sir Jose and Pig Iron are much more capable melee fighters than yourself. I will concede you are quick and skilled with those curved blades of yours, and you do have a useful enchanted hide, but those two can still take much more punishment than you ever could. It would be best if you stay behind and support them with missile fire instead of bleeding your lord's resources to heal you. Or do you feel slighted if you aren't in the front lines? "

Kit grew red and wanted to argue but bit her tongue. "So let me get this straight. You prefer to fight sans magic and magical items because you feel the need to prove yourself, or if you want to compare yourself to me, you have some sort of primal bloodlust?"

Madeline considered the question then nodded with a smile. "Yes, that is the rough gist of it. I prefer to battle my enemies with my strength and fire, rather than my magic. I do not deny my skill in the arcane arts , but the feel of slicing a foe with my claws is much more satisfying then clouding their minds with simple magic tricks. Although to be honest, I do employ some minor spells before battle, spells that augment my natural power or helps me locate slippery foes are my usual norms. Also I do not use any magic items because I do not currently have any. I lost them while being held as a prisoner of the Githyanki."

"That seems a bit proud and wasteful," noted Kit as she nodded and settled down slightly.

"Now its my turn," grinned Madeline as she watched Jose tend to the villagers in the distance. "Why is your lord so adamant that you obey orders when he himself does not. I do recall him disregarding the commands of that elf, whats her name…Mistress Olga…no Lady Ogela . I do not know much of you knights, but I thought both your organizations were from a single kingdom and therefore have a clear line of authority."

Kit shrugged ." Do you want the long answer or short ?"

"Short. I am a dragon, but there are limits to my attention span," Madeline chuckled lightly.

Kit took a deep breath and then began. "It's true we are from the same area. It's a region collectively and unimaginatively called the land of the knights. Though to be clear, I've never been there but I've heard many tales about it. It's a vast region of mostly tundra, muskeg…that's a northern word for big stinking swamp, and polar alpine forests. It's a land of hundreds of minor kingdoms, but being a noble doesn't guarantee leadership there. The strongest and most capable lead, and the people organize themselves into noble knightly brotherhoods called the Orders. "

Madeline chortled and to Kit's surprise a streamer of smoke flew out of her nose. "I know this already, but the way you put it, it makes them sound like a bunch of barbarians."

Kit nodded at the observation. "Yes it does, doesn't it. To be honest, most of these Orders were barbarians a few generations ago. Some of the more tribal of the Orders still wear fur armor and wield great wooden clubs as well. The big distinction between the Orders and a horde I guess, is that most of them have adopted a fairly modern moral code. Protect the weak and defenseless, keep the faith, to live with honor and glory, obey one's liege ….that type of stuff. "

"They sound similar to vows that knights around the world all claim to follow," commented Madeline icily with the emphasis on the word claim. "I see Sir Jose , has already failed the obey one's liege part."

Kit shook her head. "Not necessarily. As I was saying , the people of the north have organized themselves into like-minded and geographically proximate Orders. There are scores of orders, but there are only seven major Orders. The bestial Boar, the noble Snow Lion, the unstoppable Mammoth, the ruthless Ice Griffon, the sea faring Narwhal, the brave Squirrel, and recently the staunch Crab. These Orders are most often headed by a Champion; a military and political leader, but with more emphasis on the military. These Champions are in turn governed loosely by a Grand Champion. While it seems there's a clear chain of command, that is not the case. Each order only answers to their own Champion. The Order that Jose and I belong to is the heroic Husky, a minor order that has won great renown in the past, while we might not have the status of the Snow Lions we do have our pride. We will honor their titles but are under no obligation to obey their orders."

"Interesting," noted Madeline. "So if these Orders are so disorganized, why are they so far south? The Western Freeholds are a long ways off from their homeland, but their presence here is great. Maintaining a foreign occupation force is something more typical from a great nation with a larger pool of resources, not several disorganized institutions. "

"Though they maintain their independence, calling them disorganized wouldn't be fair. While they have warred amongst themselves , they more often or not cooperate with each other. They have defeated the great Horde of Yeenoghu , the giants of Frost Haven , the stone host of Ogremoch, and have even defeated the armies of Grom in the past. Also , despite their barbaric natures, they do hold the knightly tenents close to heart. Years ago the Western Freeholds called out for defenders against the goblins and giants that plague them, and the Orders were amongst the first to respond. Grom, Thyatis, and the Halfling Union had sent token forces to this area, but the Great Orders took the call for aid to heart and sent sizeable garrisons. "

Madeline considered the squire's statements and appeared confused. "So , you're telling me that you belong to a barbaric institution that poses as a noble one. While they are motivated by a higher calling, they still only take orders from their Champion or Chieftain. When in presence of other members of different tribes or Orders you pay them respect, but you don't really care about any claims of rank they possess? Despite sharing similar goals you value your independence over being a cohesive force. "

Kit thought the explanation was a bit harsh but nodded reluctantly. "I wouldn't put it like that, but yeah, that's more or less correct."

Madeline smiled . " So you prefer, how shall we say, to handicap yourselves by staying within your tribal traditions instead of facing your foes together like a mighty nation. That certainly seems proud and wasteful."

Kit was about to protest once again as her own words were used against her, but the shape changed dragon simply laughed. "Come, Sir Jose needs us again soon. Our foes await, regardless if we handicap our selves or if our pride gets in our way."


	34. Chapter 34

The great City of Sasserine was a port that funneled through much of the wealth and resources of the Western Freehold. It was an old city , much older than the collection of city states it was the informal economic lifeline of. It's great mosaic walls defended the port staunchly for unknown centuries but the cities recent monetary success proved to be its downfall. Whole districts of shops and homes were constructed outside the city to meet the demands of the growing population. While the city elders had plans to ring these newly annexed areas with a new wall , the architects proposals and blueprints proved little defense to the Githyanki army .

Kitahria looked in despair as she saw the ruin left by the invading enemy. While the invading force was slightly smaller than the great horde that had attacked Essuria, it was still a formidable force. Dozens of savage goblin tribes, supported by towering giants, militant hobgoblins and dragon riding Githyanki were amongst the visible foes that had spearheaded the attack. Inhuman shrieks and bestial howls told Kit that there were other unseen invaders as well. Regardless of the enemies' level of conspicuousness, burned out shops, rubble buildings, and various smashed structures were all that remained of the unprotected suburbs. Even more disconcerting than the ruins left in the invaders wake were the great mountains of corpses that were piled in the makeshift open markets and town squares of the unprotected districts. While Kit had seen much bloodshed in her relatively short life, the sight of hundreds if not thousands of slain innocents were too much even for her to bear. Though Kit had been use to battles and even massacres, she had never witnessed so much bloodshed, especially against a helpless foe. Her participation at the battle of Essuria was one thing, but this slaughter gave her a horrifying glimpse of what might have happened if they had failed in the mining town's defense.

Kit watched helplessly in stunned silence as her small group made it to one of the hills overlooking Sasserine. They should be doing something to stop this. No…Sir Jose should be doing something to stop this. Maid and Kaeda had turned away from the atrocity, while Pig Iron seemed oblivious to the conflict as he purred and scratched himself. Madeline however seemed to pace with anticipation at the bloodshed before them, her draconic aspect seemingly being fed by the raw violence in the air. Sir Jose however simply stared at the battlefield.

"When are we going to do some killing or rescuing?" complained Kit as some of her courage returned. "People are being killed while we sneak up to the city. We should have landed with the eagles on the first group of goblins we came across when we saw the smoke from the city. We could have wiped some baddies out, or at the very worse we could have diverted some of their attention away from their attack! It's still better than sitting around watching people die. "

Sir Jose turned to Kit, and she saw a stern look in his eye. He was about to say something, probably harsh, but Madeline interrupted him instead. "While battles are often won by raw emotion and fury, wars are almost aways won by planning and forethought. I believe that little midget sidekick that sometimes accompanies you…."

"Sergeant Trent," offered Maid in a small voice.

Madeline nodded towards the Innkeeper and gave her a friendly smile. "Yes….Trent. If he was here he would quote from the strategist Ponzu Sauce Tzu 'Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.' An apt analogy considering while we are few, we do have the power to tip the tide of this fight. "

Kit growled in frustration. "If we're so powerful why don't we just smash through them …like right now!"

Madeline snorted and a small stream of smoke escaped her nose. "If you were going into a fight with your….what do you call those curved dagger things…kukris, you wouldn't bash the biggest opponent you can with its pommel would you? While in certain cases it is a passable attack, I would guess you would maneuver yourself so you can attack a vulnerable flank or back, and use the sharp blade portion of your knife. That analogy applies with lifting this siege here, if your master is going to deploy us to maximum effect, he needs to know when and how we're going to strike. After all, not only are our lives forfeit if he fails to do so, but the entire city, the Western Freeholds, and possibly the existence of this entire timeline as well," she said with a devilish smile.

"Shut up, the both of you! Enough already," interrupted Jose angrily. Kit saw the lines of worry and stress on her lord's brow and could only guess at the pressure he was under. Kit expected Madeline to react harshly to the knight's blunt demand, but instead she simply smiled at him like she did to Maid a few moments earlier.

"Magda's right, we have to do this right. I don't have all the answers but I think I see something that might work," he stated as he waved the group towards him. He then began scratching on the ground a crude map of the area with a stick, but Madeline simply intoned a few arcane words and a miniature phantasm of the city appeared before them. Jose briefly gave the shape changed dragon an annoyed look but quickly focused back to the task on hand. "I'm guessing the Githyanki still want their sword back, and judging by the violence, they either won't accept that the sword isn't here, or Ogela refuses to surrender that information. From what I know of the Knight Commander of the Snow Lion, it's probably the latter. The suburbs of this town have been pillaged and ransacked,and sections of the wall have been torn down, but from the attack patterns of the Githyanki dragon riders and the troop activity I can see from this hill , I guess that the city's defenders still hold several main points. " Jose illustrated his conclusion by pointing to what appeared to be a tall towered fortress overlooking the harbor, a large stone building near the center of town, and one of the larger gate houses that protected the main road leading into the town.

"The Citadel of the Lion, the main militia barracks, and the Southern Gatehouse, "identified Kaeda. "Though I prefer the wilds, I have ventured into Sasserine on the rare occasion," she added defensively.

Sir Jose nodded at the tall druid and continued. "While the enemy's forces are formidable, they still have not tipped their entire hand. Their astral fortress is their strongest weapon but also the key to their defeat. While it still remains unseen, we won't …unleash ….our 'Ace in the Hole' so to speak, namely Magda here. We'll head to the Gatehouse, the nearest of the contested territory, engaging in area denial tactics to force the enemy's hand. If we do this swiftly and quietly, they won't know what hit them, and they'll either call reinforcements from their floating Fort or beat a quick retreat. At the very worse, we'll free up some more allies to put pressure on our opponents while we hit the next target."

"Though I hate to restrain my power, I agree with your plan. I believe it will give me my best chance of revenge," agreed Madeline.

"Wait…how do you know the Fortress is even here? It could still be phased out or whatever in the mountains for all we known, "questioned Maid.

Sir Jose stared at the ruined husk of Sasserine. The once magnificent city was a shell of its former self, with much of it reduced to ruin. Smoke covered it like a blanket, and winged terrors descended from the sky onto the remaining populace like vultures.

"It's here," snarled Sir Jose.

* * *

Kit had her doubts about how quick the group could move through the shattered streets of the city. While Maid and herself were both equipped and trained in stealth tactics, Pig Iron and Sir Jose were not. The Dwarven Teamster and the Paladin knight both wore heavy armor and seemed content to stomp through their foes instead of slipping past them. Added to that fact was that Madeline seemed to make no effort to hide her presence as she sauntered like some queen through the burning streets. Also, despite the fact she could blend easily in the mountains and the forests of the area, Kaeda stuck out like a sore thumb in this urban setting. Kit wondered if they were better off to have retained the use of the druid's companion eagle and the now aerial Greenpaw, she thought it would be easier to sacrifice stealth for speed and simply air drop to the Southern Gate house. Sir Jose disagreed however, and Kaeda sent her companion away while he dismissed the Celestial Green dog.

Kit expected her less than stealthy group to attract ambushes and traps, but surprisingly that did not happen. While the squire covered the perimeter of their trail, Maid scouted ahead and directed the group safely towards the tower. The fleet footed Innkeeper moved like a shadow, and luckily for they group they only encountered a few goblin looters, and what appeared to be a drunken giant which they quickly dispatched. She also noted a recently slain bug bear , its throat neatly sliced open, as they made their way forward, and she could only assume that it was Maid's handiwork. Kit herself took her recent talk with Madeline to heart and had her bow ready instead of her kukris. Though she preferred the scent and taste of close quarter battle, she got some satisfaction when she sent several arrows into a group of goblins several hundred feet away. Her small volley not only slew what appeared to be a minor chieftain but threw the rest into chaos and sent them scurrying for cover.

When they neared the gatehouse, Kit got a clearer idea of what they were facing. The Southern Gate house was more like a small keep than a simple barbican. While the enemy had breached a section of wall several hundred feet away from the gate house, it was still used as a strong hold for the defenders to regroup and harass the invaders as they made their push into the city. It had four fifty five foot concentric towers covering forty foot walls that were ringed with sturdy battlements and dotted with crossbow slits and cauldrons. More importantly, Kit spotted several ballista mounted on what appeared to be covered turrets that kept the Githyanki dragon raiders at bay. Kit noted that they were similar to the defenses that repulsed Magda and guessed there was also some form of magic at work. She glanced at her friend and she was grinning almost contemptuously at a slain dragon that had crashed landed with a ballista bolt lodged in its neck.

"Amateur," Madeline said snidely towards the draconic corpse.

Kit knew little about mass combat, but she recognized the strategic value of the gatehouse and the threat it posed to the attackers. The enemy could bypass the structure to strike at the Snow Lion's Citadel but it would leave their flanks and rear exposed. They had left a large screening force to tie up the town guard while the rest of the army pushed forward to their goal. While the defenders had exacted a large toll against the enemy hordes, their defenses did not go unscathed. There was already a large pile of goblins scattered around the base of the gate house, as well as one burned out siege tower, but another siege tower was docked to one of the forward facing towers and disgorging a steady stream of hobgoblins against the defenders. A heated melee was engaged at the top of the keep. Simultaneously, several heavily armored giants were assaulting the main gate with what appeared to be heavy mauls or sledge hammers. The large humanoids were covered in arrows, but it did little to slow their assault as they swung their heavy mallets against the heavy gate. Every blow against the barrier seemed to cause the entire structure to shudder and groan in pain. Kit knew that whatever they were going to do, they had to do it fast. The tide of this battle was hanging in the balance.

"Kaeda, can you slow down the siege tower? Warp the wood around it, or surround it with brambles or something? "asked Sir Jose.

The druid nodded.

"Pig Iron, Kit….you two are with me. Maid and Magda , stay with Kaeda and lay cover fire, till your position is exposed. Fall back if you're spotted, we'll rendezvous at the hill," commanded the knight.

The group nodded and began their assigned task, with Sir Jose leading the squire and dwarf directly to the giants. Even as she followed her lord Kit's peripheral vision and enhanced hearing could discern her other allies actions. Maid had hopped up a ruined building and balanced herself precariously on some burnt out rafters, but the stability of her platform did little to affect her aim as she began to methodically snipe at the enemy. Kaeda weaved some spells, and Kit noticed the enemy assault tower warp slightly and groaned under its weight but unfortunately still did not fall.

"Cover fire? Fall back? Please…., " spat Madeline as she picked up a large stone block . While Kit knew the shape changed dragon was terribly strong even in her human form, she could not have guessed she was capable of lifting such a large stone. She guessed it weighed several hundred pounds and was even more surprised when the golden red haired sorceress tossed it easily at the tower. Her first shot missed by a good ten yards, but her second shot connected squarely against the tower. Kit figured the structure might have withstood the heavy blow, but combined with Kaeda's previous spell the tower lurched precariously to its side before collapsing in a mighty crash.

While disabling the siege tower was important, Kit knew it was only a distraction compared to the giants at the main gate. At best the tower could transport only a few hobgoblins at a time against the upper walls, a threat but one that could be bottled up by the defenders. If the main gate fell however, then the full weight of the enemy's superior numbers could be used.

The giants paused their attack at the deafening sound of the falling tower and that proved to be a costly mistake for them. The first giant before them was tall and warped of body, his one arm was definitely longer than the other, and his body was hunched and twisted in a grotesque manner. It wore what appeared to be a collection of mismatched heavy armor plates that barely fit his frame, but even this defense proved to be useless against the hissing and meowing dwarf. While Pig Iron was by far the slowest member of the group, the dwarf surprised Kit by his deceptively fast sprint against this abnormal giant. Pig Iron stabbed the creature with a vicious two-handed strike with his bastard sword against it's ankle. The giant buckled from the attack and fell to one knee, but the dwarf was relentless. Pig Iron then jumped on its back and began to hack and slash methodically against his foe, even as the giant swatted and batted the dwarf with its heavy iron clad fists.

Sir Jose was a bit more eloquent, but just as brutal as the dwarf in his attack. The giant he faced was less bestial looking, but looked broader of shoulder and more armored. The taller knight picked the weakest spot , then slashed and stabbed his giant in its vulnerable side. Sir Jose continued to pick apart this weak spot, shuffling and dodging to get into position even as his opponent roared in pain and turned to face him. The relentless assault continued even after the giant brought his hammer directly on his tormentor. Sir Jose coolly blocked with his shield, and amazingly deflected the brunt of the blow, and then slashed into the giant's injured side once again.

Kit considered attacking what appeared to be the giant chieftain; an immensely broad giant, with black skin and red hair, but instead choose a closer and smaller armored ogre. She briefly recalled her recent talk with Madeline once again concerning her pride, and made the smart choice instead. The ogre was a particularly brutish member of its race, but was dwarfed by its fellow giants. Regardless of the amount of prestige she would gain from killing this almost insignificant opponent, Kit knew that it was the closest enemy and she would be better off working with her lord and Pig Iron rather than taking all the glory for herself. The squire lead her attack with a single stab in its back, expertly slipping her blade between a narrow crack underneath its breast plate and back mail. She then used the embedded blade to lift herself slightly to jab her other Kukri skillfully into the base of the monster's skull. The ogre at first didn't register the blow , since it was against its head, but she gave both weapons a half twist as she extracted them and jumped to safety. The ogre roared in pain, then turned to face her. It seemed to ignore her fatal blows, but it soon fell helpless to the ground after a few seconds, its tiny brain finally registering the damage it had taken.

Kit stepped back from her fallen victim and scanned for another enemy. She saw the Pig Iron was still wrestling with his much bigger larger foe. Even though the deformed giant was hobbled it was still battering the dwarf with its armored fists. Pig Iron in return , hewed his foe merrily with his golden bastard sword ignoring the giant's blows. Sir Jose had moved to another opponent, even as his first opponent futilely attempted to stuff its guts that had spilled out its sliced open side. Kit noted with a bit of jealousy that her lord was engaged with the black skinned chieftain giant that she had spotted earlier. As Kit considered aiding her master, a mighty goblinoid shout from behind caught her attention. She turned and saw that the hobgoblins that had their assault stymied, turned their attention towards Kaeda, Madeline and Maid. Hundreds of the armored humanoids marched in a phalanx formation against the trio. Sir Jose had warned them earlier to fall back in this situation, but Kit saw goblin wolf riders had already outflanked her friends. Madeline met her attackers head on and kept them at bay by either bolts of lightning or by simply swatting any that got too close with a long shattered building beam she picked up. Kaeda on the other hand had changed into a brown bear and began mauling any of her attackers that strayed too close to her claws. Unfortunately for her, the hobgoblins employed long spears and were piercing her hide methodically from a safe distance as they surrounded her with a wall of spears. More distressing was that there was no sign of Maid, the Innkeeper's last position seemed to have been over taken by swarming hobgoblins and goblins. While the Innkeeper was a capable combatant, she was more suited to skirmishing than heavy melee. Kit was about to fall back to help her friend, but a warped giant slightly smaller than the one that was wrestling with Pig Iron charged her.

Kit easily dodged the giant's initial attack but knew she would be too late to help her friend. The giant's reach and stride could easily trample her, even if she did evade its initial attack. Panic at the thought that one of her friends was in danger gripped her.

Suddenly the battle seemingly stopped. A dozen blaring horns sounded and the enemy seem to freeze at the noise. Kit took the opportunity to tumble away from her foe, and from her vantage point she saw several of the sally ports from the Gatehouse had opened. Kit didn't know much about siege warfare, but Sir Jose did mention Sally ports were heavily plated emergency exits used by the defenders to keep their attackers on the toes. It allowed raids to be performed by the defenders to typically attack undefended siege engines or weaknesses in the enemies' lines. Currently, as the horns blared the ports unleashed roughly thirty Halfling dragoons.

No…not dragoons corrected Kit. Dogoons, the pride of the Halfling cavalry.

The mail clad Halflings on their swift war dogs ignored the giants, and charged the rear guard of the hobgoblins that were engaged against Kaeda and Madeline. The deadly outriders charge smashed into the enemy ranks, and soon the hobgoblins found themselves caught between hammer and anvil. A pack of barking dogs and slashing Halflings behind them or an enraged bear and a log swinging sorceress ahead of them. At the vanguard of the sally force was none other than the brave Sergeant Trent. The stalwart Halfling was a dervish with his saber and pressed relentlessly forward regardless of his own safety. It didn't take long for the enemies' morale to break under such conditions, and the hobgoblins were soon scattered and routed. Despite their low intelligence, the remaining giants sensed the tide of battle had shifted and fled as well. Even their leader, the great black skinned red haired brute fled from the field, though it was more likely from the grievous wounds that Sir Jose had inflicted on him. The Halflings excelled at harassing a broken enemy but seemed content to merely chase them from the field before regrouping back to their sally ports.

"Everyone …into the gate house! NOW! ", commanded Sir Jose as he signaled the rest of his group to follow the Outriders. Kit heard him clearly but she couldn't leave just yet. The squire ran to the last position where she saw Maid and hoped her friend was safe.

To Kit's great relief, she saw Sergeant Trent emerge from the ruined building on his new war dog, Fluffy 2 or something . The relatively small Halfling had Maid in his lap as he slowly rode back to the keep, oblivious to the war raging around him. Kit saw that her friend had several deep and nasty gashes to her side and head, but the Innkeeper was nothing but smiles as she caressed her rescuer's hair.

Trent seemed to pay no attention to anything except Maid, but did manage to reflexively salute Kit as he rode past. While the pair's odd proportions looked ridiculous to Kit, the squire admitted they did make a nice looking couple.


	35. Chapter 35

Kitahria followed Trent and Maid back to the gatehouse at a respectable distance; partially shape changed to her bestial bipedal form to avoid detection and to keep a lower profile. While she did not feel she was spying or any such thing, the area was still a warzone and she thought she had to stay close and protect the pair. Not that the two needed much protection, the Halfling was a formidable warrior despite his diminutive size and the Innkeeper was as deadly with the bow as any archer. Regardless of their skill, the squire knew that they were a bit distracted and felt some matronly urge to keep the two safe.

When the duo plus one finally reached the Gatehouse, Kit's fears proved unfounded. The goblin and giants were truly routed and they arrived at their destination unmolested. While Kit's knowledge of siege warfare was limited, she guessed the enemy had no stomach to retake their old positions. She could only guess at the withering ballista and arrow fire they would have to endure from the keep to resume their attack. That and the fact that the outriders had set fire or destroyed most of the offensive fortifications and siege engines, making another attack unlikely.

While Trent and Maid entered the keep through the sally port, Kit was met by Madeline at the portal.

"Is there a problem?" the squire asked as she assumed a more humanoid form.

"Possibly.., "responded Madeline ambiguously as she examined the port.

"I don't think the sally port is trapped. Everyone else went through safely. Even Trent and Maid went through recently safe and sound," noted Kit. To demonstrate the squire strode towards the portal, but Madeline waved her off with a warning of her hand. Though she claimed the portal was safe, the squire hesitated to go through after the cryptic warning.

Madeline nodded in agreement, but still did not enter the keep. "The knights of the north are not just known for their skill at arms and chivalry, they are also known for their castles and keeps. Great edifices of stone and mortar that can keep out the bitter winter, hordes of monster, and even …..a red dragon."

Kit took a second and then nodded in comprehension. "This castle is warded against you?"

"Essuria had wards against my fire, protections against my flight, and even runes against my shape changing ability. If it didn't I would have simply waltzed through the gates and destroyed the town within," warned Madeline with a malevolent glare. While the dragon's fierce gaze could melt ice, Kit had grown slowly accustomed to her threatening manner.

"But…I saw you walk around that town unmolested. No glyphs or magic struck you down," questioned Kit.

"Not all protective magic triggers fire and lightning. The enchantments in Essuria were more subtle. While you didn't notice them, I definitely felt the presence of detection spells being triggered, which is why I am hesitant to enter this keep. Similar enchantments or worse might be triggered if I were to enter," explained the shape changed dragon.

Kit scratched her head. "Well besides myself, you're the most capable to stay out here by yourself; you got the whole, giant fire breathing beast thing going on. However, what does this have to do with me?"

Madeline smirked and nodded in agreement. Then she waved her hand as her fingers engaged in a series of complex gestures. A white cloud formed in front of Kit and soon solidified into a glassy mirror like surface. Kit took a good and saw her large fox ears peeking through the mess that was her hair.

"Kit your ears…", mimicked the dragon in her best rendition of Sir Jose's deep voice.

"Oh, I see," frowned the squire as she realized she was shape changed as well and might trigger whatever defenses the keep might have. Kit focused and began to retract them but stopped in mid transformation.

"I can go through first to trigger whatever spells might be on it," offered Kit suddenly. "While I might not be as tough as Pig Iron and Sir Jose, I'm pretty good at evading magic and especially traps. "

Madeline chuckled at the suggestion. "The last thing I need is your master accusing me of tricking his squire to trigger traps for me. While we have kept the truce from our unlikely alliance, I'm sure we will be locked in battle if you ended up vaporized. "

"Nahh…just watch me…", declared Kit as she jumped through the portal blindly.

"No! Wait…! ", shouted Madeline as the squire was engulfed in a flash of energy.

Kit turned and saw the shape changed dragon's look at her first with shock, then with relief, and then a flare of disapproval. "That was rash. I was waiting for the Captain of the Keep or which ever self important officer to arrive to explain to me the nature of this gate house's defenses. I expect more caution from the person that has sworn to protect my children."

The squire initially felt a bit ashamed at Madeline's scolding, but quickly defended her action; after all, nothing bad had happened to her. "Oh don't get snippy. You're just mad cuz all your caution proved unfounded. It's safe and sound here and you just feel foolish because you were scared to enter," declared Kit. "Well, what are you waiting for. C'mon in."

Madeline shook her head and with a wave of her hand the cloudy mirror moved in front of Kit again. The squire noticed immediately that not only had her ears extended, her hair had grown, whiskers had extended, and even her tail had sprouted. She was shocked as she hadn't seen herself in such a bestial state in quite a while and quickly reverted her form back to a more presentable humanoid form. "I think it best if I stay outside. The last thing you want is to see me revert to my true form inside this keep." With that flimsy excuse, the shape changed dragon stretched her arms as she merrily walked towards the Citadel of the Lion.

Kit was about to protest, but knew there was nothing she could say that could stop her.

Madeline waved slightly behind her as she stalked away. "It's been entertaining but we part paths here. If by some chance you survive, I will still hold you to your pledge to protect my children that you've stashed in Essuria. Oh don't be disappointed Kit. I'm not here for justice or the need to vanquish some great evil, I'm only here for vengeance, and to me that's a personal thing. "

* * *

While the gatehouse was quite impressive from the outside, Kit had expected the structure to be fairly spartan and utilitarian from within. Instead of a series of barracks, and supply rooms, the small keep seemed more akin to a nobleman's castle from within, complete with cisterns, a library, chapels, practice rooms, and even the elaborate small council chamber that they were now in. Inside there was a round table covered in maps, and the walls were decorated with murals and carvings of some exotic tropical scene. Waiting in the chamber was Pig Iron who was chasing mice along the walls, Kaeda who was examining the odd reliefs set on said walls, a wry bald man in a plain ring mail tunic explaining to the druid about the walls , and of course her master that was pacing impatiently around the room seemingly trapped by said walls.

Kit expected some angry ranting from Sir Jose about Magda's departure, but the knight took the news well. In fact the squire was a bit disappointed by the lack of concern he had over the dragon's departure.

"Frankly, I'm surprised she refrained from eating any of us all this time," shrugged the knight. "And where's Trent and Maid, we need to get this little council meeting started."

Kit suppressed a knowing giggle and focused on the task on hand. While they had broken the siege of the Southern Gatehouse, the walls of the inner city had already been breached and the enemy was firmly entrenched with in. Though the enemy forces would be hard pressed for reinforcements and supplies, now that their main supply lines were vulnerable, the advantages of this new tactical situation would be lost on the civilians suffering from their attackers.

"It's not like Trent to be late. Did he get hurt during his sally? Is he in the infirmary or something? " huffed the bald man with an ornate bronze eye patch, that had previously been talking to Kaeda. Kit did not see any visible military insignia on the man, but from his tone and the respect that the soldiers gave him, she assumed he was of a high rank.

Sir Jose growled and pointed at a map. "Kit take notes, he can catch up later. Tell me the situation Sir Grinder." Kit groaned but began taking brief diction. She noted a sense of familiarity and respect in the way her master addressed the man, though she did not recognize the name. She noted that Sir Jose called him 'Sir' and assumed the man must have been a knight of some sort. Judging by the quality of his equipment she assumed he must have belonged on one of the numerous minor orders.

Sir Grinder grunted and moved some rocks around the map, partly to indicate troop movements but also to prevent the parchment from moving. " Ladu Ogela warned the town of the Giffyankee or whatever their name is when she returned, but no one could have guessed how hard and fast they would strike us. The city lords placed extra patrols on the joke they call walls here, but they were no match for the dragon riders that descended on us. "

"Our initial defensive was spirited but futile. Bug bear assassins easily breached our defenses before the main goblin and giant horde arrived, but thankfully it was near this keep. Despite its 'renovated' appearance, it was built on top of the ruins of a much older structure. Luckily for us, the old builders knew their craft well."

"Old structure? "asked Kaeda curiously.

The bald man eyed her suspiciously, but a nod from Sir Jose relaxed his attitude. "Yes, believe it or not this city did not spring up in the Western Freeholds overnight like Essuria and many of the other boom towns here. Legend has it that Sasserine and Cauldron were transported from some distant tropical climate, possibly from a different dimension, by some ancient powerful magic a century ago. Hence, the odd statues you'll find around the city , and also the odd art style I've seen you noticed here in this room. While the city back then was quite defensible, it was much too small for the growing horde of merchants coming to make their fortunes in these mountains. Which is why they expanded much of the structures and walls with varying degrees of success."

"Oh I see. My elders told me something similar but I thought they exaggerated the part of the city appearing overnight," admitted Kaeda.

"Enough of the history lesson, get on with it Grinder," demanded Sir Jose. Kit knew her lord had some feelings towards the druid, but they obviously did not stop his no nonsense attitude.

The bald man rolled his eyes with practiced familiarity at the knight and continued his analysis of the situation. "While the initial attack was fierce, the militia and the knights in the city fought fiercely against them. We made them pay for every block they took. Even though the city has been thrown into chaos, from the reports that I've received, the enemy's main thrust against the Council's palace has been broken up. They are currently mired in several prolonged sieges against the militia's barracks, the Citadel of the Snow Lion, and until recently this gate house. Luckily for us, reinforcements from the other Freeholds have been arriving daily. Trent's outriders , Griffon riders from the Talon Keep, and even opportunistic mercenaries from the Green Coast. Now that the Southern Gate is freed, we can play a more active role in the city's defense and we might stand a chance afterall."

Kit noticed that Grinder seemed pleased and optimistic with the situation but Sir Jose remained grim. " Did the enemy demand surrender or offer terms of parlay?"

Grinder shook his head. "If they tried to talk to the Council or Lady Ogela, I've heard nothing of it."

"Any signs of a giant flying mountain?"pressed Sir Jose.

"Errr …no," replied Grinder in a puzzled voice. "Though if there was one, we probably wouldn't see it due to the smoke. Also, elements of the Order of the Griffon are in the area. While they are mostly engaged against the enemy's dragons, I'm sure they are in a better position to spot a flying mountain than I could from this keep. "

Sir Jose considered this information and thought deeply over the situation. Kit wasn't sure if that was a good idea since her Lord was better at forming spur of the moment battlefield plans , rather than insightful long range ones. The squire could almost hear the grinding machinery slowly turning gears in his mind, and playfully guessed there was a fifty fifty chance the siege would end before he made a decision.

"What is the most defensible position in the entire city?" the knight finally asked.

"That's easy. The old sea fort by the north harbor. It has the thickest walls and the best magical wards. Besides the ocean it can only be approached by a narrow path, and it has trebuchet emplacements that can strike all the way across the harbor, " noted Sir Grinder. " But…that's only important if the enemy is attacking from the sea. Against a ground invasion that's already in the city, it serves no tactical purpose. "

Kit peered at the map and saw Grinder's assessment was correct. It was a naval fortress, probably built to fend off invading fleets and pirates. It had good lines of sight for the harbor, but was of little practical use against a land based foe.

Grinder looked at Sir Jose and shook his head. "Hey, it's a defensible position but the enemy would never fight you there. It's of no significance to them and you couldn't even use it to harass their forces like this keep here. The Giffyankees or whatever you call these guys are battling by the barracks and the citadel right now, and by the way this war is progressing, possibly at the Council's palace next."

Jose cracked a smile and patted the two-handed sword carefully wrapped on his back. "Oh I think I have an idea or two on how to get their attention."


	36. Chapter 36

"Everyone down! NOW ! "shouted Sir Jose.

Kit didn't need her master to command her twice. She dove into a roll and tumbled into an alley, even as a swath of flame ignited the street. The squire saw that most of her companions had evaded the brunt of the fires, but a few of the Sasserine militia were caught out in the open. One of the guardsmen fell to the ground, a lifeless blackened husk, while another ran seemingly in random circles as his body smouldered brightly.

After the initial strike, a roar came from down the street and a platoon of hobgoblins advanced in a steady march towards them, shields and spears arrayed like a deadly flower's bloom.

Kit considered dealing with them, but knew they had a more immediate concern. She drew her bow and popped back out of the alley scanning the sky. She spotted her draconic target soaring overhead and quickly fired before it flew out of view. Her aim and shot were true, but her arrow stopped seemingly in midair deflected by an invisible barrier. While she had clearly missed she saw a small crossbow bolt overshoot the dragon, before deflecting back and striking its target, though it was to minimal effect. Kit cursed, partially at the magical barrier but more at missing her own shot. Ever since her conversation with Madeline, the young squire had taken more appreciation and pride at her archery prowess; each time she missed felt like a blemish on her competence.

As the enemy flew out of sight behind the rooftops of Sasserine, Kit took the opportunity to scamper up the building that she was hiding behind. While the alley had no ladders, the nimble were fox leapt up to a window sill, pulled herself up, before leaping again to catch an edge, and finally flipping over and landing on the balls of her feet onto the roof. From her new vantage point, she saw Sir Jose, Pig Iron and the warrior called Grinder charge the incoming hobgoblins. Some of the guards supported them, but most were clearly demoralized and scrambled into the nearby buildings. She also spotted Trent, Maid, and a few remaining militiamen readying their bows and crossbows for a more organized volley at their elusive aerial opponent. There was no sign of their dragon attacker through the smoking city, but she did spot a pair of armored griffons tearing at another dragon in the distance. Though it was difficult to spot, she did see the sparks of metal on metal and could make out knights and Githyanki sparring atop their mounts.

As Kit watched the dragon warrior and griffon knights engaged in their aerial duel briefly before the Githyanki and its mount broke their engagement and fled through the smoke. Even as she watched the knights fly in pursuit the dragon she was searching for burst through the smoke and dove towards her party. Kit's keen eye spotted its ornate armored rider, and drew a bead on him with her bow. She saw a volley of arrows and crossbow bolts mostly deflect off the shield of the dragon again, and noted the pattern in which they were redirected. Taking this in account, she released her shot slightly to the side of her target, and grinned ear to ear as her arrow embedded into the Githyanki's chest. Kit's arrow caught her target in mid spell casting, and almost threw him off his saddle. Only his aerial leg straps prevented a fatal fall.

While the Githyanki rider was either disabled or at least interrupted, its dragon mount was undeterred by the hail of missiles coming its way. It dove once again into the street and unleashed another river of flame. Kit expected the dragon to just blast the road once again, burning friend and foe alike, but instead the dragon directed the brunt of its fiery fury into a nearby building. Screams of torment erupted from the blazing structure as the dragon soared upwards once again into the smoke.

Kit frowned as she realized their distinct tactical disadvantage. Kaeda could shift into an eagle and fly towards their airborne tormentor, but the druid proved repeatedly that she was less then skilled in close quarter combat. Kit also noted that she saw no sign of her, and assumed that Kaeda was probably cowering in fear, despite the fact that their draconic attacker was far too small to radiate a fear aura. She supposed that Sir Jose could summon Greenpaw and attempt to engage the dragon in the air, but the great celestial husky had only 'earned its wings' so to speak, and she had doubts about how her master or his mount would fair in an aerial battle. Also Sir Jose made it clear he would attempt to keep a low profile till they reached the old sea fort, taking to the sky now would summon every dragon rider the enemy had before they were ready.

Kit disregarded their tenuous position and refocused on the task on hand. The dragon was circling around once again, filling its lungs with fire or something. She knew killing the beast with a single shot was a difficult if not impossible task, but she did remember hearing some bard did it a few years ago. It was a crazy tale about talking birds, a forlorn mountain, a loose scale, and a black arrow, but if some two bit musician could do it, Kit thought she could as well.

As the squire waited for her prey, she felt her hair rise on their ends. Even before she heard the crack of thunder, Kit dove to the side evading a bolt of lightning targeted clearly at her. She scowled as she saw the warrior mage she had shot earlier, clinging to his saddle glaring at her with glowing malevolent eyes. Even more pressing was that the Githyanki's dragon mount seemed to be diving straight towards her. Kit knew that there would be little room to dodge its fiery breath while she was off balanced and exposed on the roof.

Kit attempted to spring over the roof's ledge but before she could muster her strength and find her footing, both of her attackers were seemingly caught in a powerful updraft. Both dragon and rider were tossed violently by a violent wind and were sent spinning in the air. Kit couldn't see a thing, but she did smelled something akin to a thunderstorm or a hurricane, and knew immediately it was some sort of elemental. The Githyanki seemed to sense this as well and unleashed a torrent of arcane energy, briefly illuminating before dissipating what appeared to a cloud with claws. The squire guessed it was most likely Kaeda's handiwork and resolved to apologize to the druid later for her earlier thoughts.

While the elemental was slain, the strong turbulence it caused with its death throes did manage to send the dragon and its rider tumbling uncontrolled from the sky. The pair plummeted to the ground , but to the dragon's credit it managed to break its fall partially by crashing into Kit's building . Kit scrambled out of the way as the dragon crashed through the roof before reeling back and continuing its descent to the street below. Kit managed to avoid being squashed but felt the building creak ominously to its side.

Without thinking, Kit dropped her bow and drew her blades before leaping after the falling dragon. As she jumped off the roof and hopefully on top of her opponents, Kit saw that she wasn't the only one converging on the dragon. Even though the dragon was on its side, dazed from its fall , the creature was still a deadly opponent, however that did not deter Sir Jose from charging the monster.

"Daros Lucha!" roared the knight as he bellowed his familiar war cry.

The knight slammed his sword into the creature's tail, pinning it into the cobbled street. The dragon's head shot out almost comically in anger and surprise, but Sir Jose targeted its neck with his shield and drove the steel bulwark into it with a mighty blow. Kit grimaced as the sickening sound of crushed bones filled the air, even as she fell towards the stunned Githyanki mage. She slipped both her kukris into its neck, before doing a tight flip and landing softly onto the dying astral warrior's shoulders.

Jose nodded to her even as he retrieved his sword from the slain dragon's tail. Kit returned the nod as she hopped lightly off her dead foe.

* * *

Kit had expected the hobgoblins to break and run after the dragon and mage were killed , but to their credit they fell back in an organized fashion. Their phalanx formation kept Grinder and the rest of the militia at bay with their long spears and their shields turned away most of Maid and Trent's support fire. Despite their sound formation and tactics, it helped little against Pig Iron. The crazed dwarf ignored the spears even as they pierced his heavy armor, and merrily hacked and chopped the hobgoblin's center rank with his golden bastard sword. While the militia could not overcome the hobgoblins under normal circumstances, they eagerly took advantage of the strange meowing dwarf's breach and poured into close quarters against them. The hobgoblins knew they were defeated but their leader simply abandoned their front ranks to the vengeful defenders as the rest of his unit retreated.

"That was a costly skirmish," commented Trent as he surveyed the carnage. "We lost eight militiamen."

Grinder nodded in agreement," Aye , but we knew the cost of this little foray before we set forth. Getting to the North Harbor Fort aint gonna be easy peasy." Even though Kit was busy recovering her bow from the rubble, the squire could detect a hint of resentment in the grizzled warrior's voice. In fact after she found her weapon, Kit saw that many of the other militia seemed to give Sir Jose dark menacing stares.

Kit couldn't blame them though. While most had fought vigorously against the enemy defending the Southern Gate House's impressive walls, battling the enemy face to face, hand to hand, was a different matter altogether. While some like her master, Pig Iron and herself relished the thrill of close quarter combat, most soldiers were often shaken by it. Kaeda always seemed scared by up close fightin, and she could smell a sense of nervousness even from Trent and Maid during battle. Kit wondered if her own bloodlust was a normal thing, but decided that anything similar she shared with Pig Iron was definitely abnormal.

Kit expected Sir Jose to say something inspiration or more likely threatening to restore morale, but instead Trent spoke up in his defense. "Look around you. There's goblins and giants in the streets, and dragons in the sky. Nothing is going to be 'easy' if we want to win this thing. Your homes, your livelihood and most importantly your loved ones are at stake here. I'm not going to give you the option of falling back to the Southern Gate, I need as many of you that I can get if we're going to make it to the Harbor Keep. So save your dirty looks for the enemy," warned the Halfling. While even on his dog he was easily the smallest one there , Trent seem to tower above the cowering militiamen during his speech.

Grinder sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Look matey, we understand how important this is, but besides myself , most of the lads here have little or no actual military experience. The most violent thing my boys have done before this siege was to break up the occasional bar room scrap, or brawl with kobolds in the sewers. Nuttin prepares us for dragon riding Giffyankee finger wagglers."

Trent nodded and signaled the group to resume their march, while still reluctant the rest of the soldiers followed suit with little complaint. While Kit thought the Halfling handled the situation well , she also noted that Sir Jose had quietly moved to their center and was radiating his weird hero aura. She admitted she didn't fully understand that particular paladin skill, but she did know her lord can bolster one's courage simply by standing close to them. A useful skill to have considering the task that laid ahead of them.

While their ultimate goal was the destruction of the Githyanki and their flying fortress, the fact that the enemy chose not to reveal their strength made their task difficult. Kit knew that even if they broke the siege on the city, if the astral warrior's base was not dealt with they would continue to plague the territory. Most of the blood shed by their foe had been conscripted or charmed humanoid and giant tribes, and Kit knew they could easily raise another army again. Even if they killed every goblin around in five hundred miles, the next time it could be an army of war like orcs, a horde of hill barbarians, or perhaps the ocean dwelling sahaugin shark men. Worse still, if the enemy succeeded in conquering Sasserine they would be free to continue repairs to their fortress and possibly go back in time and affect events that happened nearly a hundred years ago. Kit still wasn't clear on the concept of temporal physics but Madeline made it clear that it could possibly wipe or alter this timeline's existence.

To stop their plans, the enemy's had to be brought out in the open and stopped. A difficult task under most circumstances, but luckily they had an ace in the hole, a Githyanki Silver blade. Kit knew that their foe had some crazy obsession over it and would do anything to recover it. Only the area's unique anti arcane qualities, and perhaps some of Madeline's magic prevented the foe from finding them, but the squire was certain they would throw their might at them if its location was revealed for all to see.

Taking the blade to the most defensible part of the city, and luring the enemy to it seemed their best course of action. Sir Jose hoped that the enemy would break their own strength attempting to recover the blade, but Kit wasn't so sure. Gambling everything on the fact the enemy may or may not attempt a suicidal rush seemed too risky to the squire, but she wasn't about to question her lord. It was a decisive plan with flaws to be sure, but better to have a plan than none at all.

While her lord made the plan, luckily Sergeant Trent was the one to put it into motion. The keen minded Halfling split their forces into two groups in an attempt to make it to the keep. While Kit was leery of splitting up, his reasoning was that the enemy could spot and discern large troop movements, but two smaller groups would go unnoticed. Regardless of his logic, Kit noted that the boogey man in most horror tales often preyed on their foes after they split up.

Besides the current attack the plan seemed to be working as planned. Most of the battle seemed concentrated around the Citadel of the Snow Lion to the east or the central Militia barracks in the center of the city. Trent's outriders and a platoon of guards took the safer but longer eastern route, and hoped their speed would evade any foes. Kit noted that the Halfling left his second in command to lead his riders while he guided Jose's group through the city. An odd decision, but the squire guessed that a certain Innkeepers safety probably swayed the Halfling decision. Their own group were to head directly to the militia barracks. If things went according to plan they would break the siege there and conscript guards to help man the Harbor Keep. It seemed like a crazy plan, but Kit admitted that she had followed her lord into more dangerous situations before. An army of hobgoblins or giants seemed easier to deal with then say, the pair of them attacking a goblin village, crawling up a giant construct's leg, or perhaps taking on a full sized red dragon.

As the group advanced towards the center of the city, the pair of Griffon Knights that Kit spotted earlier descended towards them. Fierce winds buffeted them as their fierce half lion half eagle mounts landed. Kit noted that the knights were in light mail, and wielded maces and bows. Even though they were bloodied and singed by their own encounter against a dragon, the knights looked magnificent and almost regal with their banners and fierce tabards fluttering from their Griffons. Kit felt ashamed at her own grubby appearance when compared with these knights. Even without the battle grime, Sir Jose and her own dress uniforms paled compared to the glorious warriors before her.

"Hold !" demanded the lead knight. " We have been charged by Lady Ogela to coordinate and communicate the efforts of the defenders. While we commend your efforts, your group would better serve Sasserine defending the gate house and cut off the enemy's line of supply. "

Sir Jose stepped up and shook his head. "I am Sir Jose . Lady Ogela is a personal friend to my own master, and I hold her in the highest esteem, but we're heading to the main barracks and then to the Harbor Keep. "

The lead knight scowled and raised his mace. Kit had heard that the knights of the Ice Griffon were amongst the most ruthless, deadly and aloof of all the northern warriors. She could clearly understand why since they rode majestic Griffons while if she was lucky she could someday ride a big dog. She feared her lord's less then amicable communication skills were going to start a fight, but strangely the knight before her master faltered and bowed his head in deference to Sir Jose when he noticed the faded dog symbol on his tabard.

"Forgive me. I did not realize we were in the presence of a Knight of the Husky. I am Sir Albin the second and this is my squire Tanden. I do not understand the reasoning of your tactic, but we will not impede any brother of the Great Orange Champion, "stammered the lead knight in recognition.

The second rider seemed to be confused by his fellow's actions at first, but at the mention of the 'Orange Champion' he fell in line as well," All hail the followers of Champion Zax, killer of the Hafgufa, slayer of Ogremoch, and the man that brought our order back into the light," chanted squire Tanden as he bowed his head reverently.

Jose nodded; seemingly satisfied at the respect he was given.

"We will not hinder your course of action and will inform Lady Ogela of your presence immediately. Surely your Order's famed courage and martial skills will turn the tide of battle," declared Albin as he prepared to take flight.

Kit was thoroughly confused and wished she wore her tabard as well. Her own order was considered a minor one at best, especially compared to the Great Orders like that of the Ice Griffons. While Sir Jose often went on about how respected and feared their order was, Kit admitted she thought it was more prideful boasting than actual truth. She nudged up to Jose and elbowed him slightly. "What's this all about ? " she whispered.

"It's just like they said, some Husky guy in the past beat the hell out of their supreme leader over a century ago and they've given us props for it ever since," whispered Sir Jose in return as he maintained his gaze towards the Griffon Knights.

"Do you require anything else of us before we inform the Snow Lion Commander?" asked Albin.

Jose thought over his request. "Just one. Tell her to wait for my signal, and then strike with all she's got."


	37. Chapter 37

A pair of Githyanki mages and a Githyanki knight riding a red dragon soared through the smoke choked sky. The small band seemed to be scanning the ground below for enemies, secure in their aerial superiority over all that cowered below them. The Griffon riders that challenged them, despite their earlier successes, had mostly retreated back to the Citadel of the Snow Lion, and the skies above were theirs. Suddenly from out of the smoke and the mist of the burning city, a colossal red shadow burst from the heavens and descended on the patrol. The skies above Sasserine was briefly lit by a second sun. In a second, the astral mages and the knight were incinerated by a white hot blaze that engulfed them. While the red dragon mount survived the initial fiery assault, its reprieve was quickly ended as massive claws seized it and tore it apart in a single violent ripping motion. Almost as fast as it began, the huge shadow retreated back quick into the clouds, ominously out of view.

Kit knew that despite their parting of ways, Madeline was still keeping a low profile in hopes of luring out the enemy's astral fortress. Though instead of foolishly challenging them directly she was employing hit and run attacks. Kit guessed the clever use of spells or shapechanging had stymied the enemy's efforts to locate her thus far. She smiled at the carnage above and considered waving at the gigantic red shadow, but she concentrated on the task on hand. She scanned the streets again looking for any immediate signs of her foe. Though the din of battle still echoed through the air, the squire noticed through the smoke that the crowded alleys and boulevards were oddly deserted. Normally Kit would have thanked the gods, Koryis, Nirrodin, or even the pantheon of Vinnraj, for the safely guiding her band through the war torn city , but something about this seemed wrong to her. Ordinarily she considered her own sense of direction impeccable; she doubt she was lost; but Kit knew that the main barracks she approached should have been swamped in conflict instead of the eerie silence that greeted her.

Kit held out her hand and signaled her small group to stop. Even without looking she heard a rustling behind her and could well imagine Sir Jose and the remaining guards hunker down at her signal. Satisfied that her charges were safely under cover, the squire hopped some crates onto an overhead beam before jumping precariously on a clothesline to swing atop the roof. Kit felt increasingly secure in her city climbing and jumping skills and briefly wondered if there was any work besides being a cat burglar that used such a skill set. Was there a demand for urban vigilantes she wondered, before dismissing the foolish notion.

From her new view Kit saw the militia barracks was deathly quiet, with several small plumes of smoke . The squire frowned at the realization that the reason for the calm was that the battle was probably over here. She could well imagine the slaughter that the hobgoblins and giants perpetrated, and shuddered. Not at the death of the guards that died in their duty defending the city, but at the wrath of her lord when he found out. Her master was normally quite stoic, but could get quite melodramatic when properly motivated. Kit remembered the first time she heard one of his angst filled soliloquies of vengeance and suppressed a groan.

As Kit considered Jose's ramblings, she heard a rustle behind her and quickly ducked, sidestepped and spun around to face her startled opponent.

"Your peripheral vision is improving," smiled Maid as the Innkeeper slipped out of the smoke and curtsied in deference. Kit was surprised that she detected her friend; it was the first time since she met her that she was able to.

Even though Kit accepted the compliment gladly, the squire suddenly noticed the light flowery perfume of Maid. "How, how did you do that? The scent I mean," questioned the squire in surprise. " I know people that can slip in and out of the darkness, but I've never known anyone that can turn their smell on and off."

Maid rolled her eyes and made a slight brushing motion with her hands. "I'll explain later, but did you notice anything odd around here?"

Kit nodded. "It's quiet, but I'm guessing that's due to the barracks falling," she commented as she pointed to the silent building. "My guess is that the remaining enemy is moving against the citadel and are going to support the enemy there, which means we should get a move on to."

Maid shook her head. "No, that's not the case. While the keep seems deserted, it isn't. I've seen some guards but not many. They are undermanned but there are a few militia men still defending their positions. Also the streets aren't as empty as you think. I checked closer and saw a company of goblins and some giants nervously holed up in a nearby square a few blocks away. No snipers, no patrols though."

Kit puzzled over her friends scouting report. "Wait, why aren't the hobgoblins pressuring the barracks, or keep or whatever you want to call it. If it's so undermanned it shouldn't be a problem to overwhelm them. From what I've seen , the goblins will send hundreds to die against a well-entrenched foe , surely they won't balk against a weakened one?"

Maid shrugged. "We should tell Sir Jose. Something's up, but I don't know what. "

Kit agreed and the paired rappelled down the building to the paladin. While Kit jumped and hopped from wall to window sill to break her fall, the Innkeeper simply dropped straight to the ground and somehow managed to spread her arms and landed lightly at the last second. Kit was about to voice her amazement at the feat, but decided to save the questions for later.

"Something's not right here. There are people in the barracks, but not many. There's a lot of enemies nearby, but they seemed to congregated in a nearby town square. For some reason the battle has stopped, but I don't see the reason why," explained the squire to her master.

"Are the enemy close?" asked the knight.

Maid nodded and pointed in the direction of the enemy she spotted. "I think we can avoid them if we wish to reach the barracks. They aren't sending out any patrols. "

Jose regarded her statement cautiously." Well, let's make it to the barracks and see what's going on."

* * *

Kit lead the group through the alleys and boulevards to the barracks. Though she felt little risk in taking the main streets, the desolation of the area still spooked her and she chose not to chance it.

Kit noticed piles of slain goblins and guardsmen littering the streets, many with weapons still in hand. The squire saw the results of vicious hand to hand fighting and guessed that the guards fought the invading horde block by block, street by street; making them pay dearly for every foot of the city they conquered. This did not surprise Kit since this was what she imagined typical city fighting to entail, though she was curious on why they weren't looted. Even the Southern Gatehouse, which they recently liberated, had similar scenes around the structure but she did note that most of the slain had been thoroughly stripped by one side or another. She disregarded that detail and assumed the reason was that the battle here was recent and concentrated on the stillness around them. While the superficial signs of battle were still here, a tense quiet dread seemed to fill the air.

As the group neared the keep like barracks, Kit noticed a large breach in the fortress like structure that was currently filled with wooden rubble. From the dead giants and shattered battering rams in the area, Kit quickly deduced that the enemy breached this point at great cost but were repulsed by the defenders which quickly filled up the hole with any debris or smashed furniture they could scrounge from within. Kit was quite surprised that the enemy hadn't put any more pressure at this obvious weak point, and wondered if Maid's assessment of the keep's situation was inaccurate.

If the defenders were still strongly entrenched, that would explain why the enemy had retreated. Kit wondered if they were playing skink, red panda, possum or whatever the locals here called it, and was hiding their strength to entice another disastrous attack by their foes. It would be tactically sounder to send sallying skirmishers to harass the reeling enemy like Trent had done earlier, but the defenders might not have been too keen to press their foe. War weariness could have ended any further attacks.

Despite her speculations, the entire situation did not seem right. Her eyes spotted that the breach didn't seem to be caused by the giant's crude siege weapons but curiously by great claws. Many large rends that gouged into the stone seemed to have been torn the hole in the thick stone wall. Kit guessed that the giants weakened this area, before whatever monster the goblins had was unleashed on it. Having fought many lower planar creatures under her former master Mogombo, and having crossed paths with the wizard Gregor before, she knew that the likely cause of these claw marks was demon; though she did have trouble identifying the exact type.

Sir Jose seemed to notice the marks as well and walked up and examined them. "They look like a lizard's claw or possibly some giant frogs," he commented gruffly.

"Possibly a Herzrou demon, "noted Kit from experience. Demons were one of her favored enemies and she didn't want to be showed up by Sir Jose, regardless if he was her lord or not. "Though a toad demon's claws are much bigger than this. "

The paladin frowned. "I know what a Hezzyrou is. I use to be a professional demon hunter you know, I worked with Martinez, Raoul , and Lady ….", he stammered but stopped in midsentence.

Kit and Sir Jose both paused and unspoken truce settled between them. Regardless of how much they enjoyed their playful verbal sparring they knew this was not a subject to be brought up . Not so soon, and not with Kaeda within their midst.

Fortunately the awkward silence between the pair was broken when a shout came from the other side of the make shift barricade. "Reinforcements? Reinforcements! We're saved!"

A large plank was lowered and the paladin and his retinue quickly scrambled over it to get inside the keep. The squire and her master watched as Pig Iron, Grinder, Trent, Maid, Kaeda, and the roughly twenty surviving guardsmen they brought scramble through before they went inside themselves. When Kit reached the other side she saw bodies sprawled around the small courtyard and amongst the walls and battlements. She saw that the gates to the inner keep was still open and not secured and quickly motioned some of the militiamen to close it. Kit counted the bodies of both men and hobgoblins , and even a single ogre sprawled on the ground, and guessed the attackers breached the wall but were swiftly repulsed. She was impressed by the tenacity of the defenders but was disappointed to see there were only three guards holding the keep. Besides their dangerously low troop levels, she was surprised at the state that they were in.

Instead of the war weary soldiers that she had expected, the remaining defenders seemed more akin to escapees from a mental asylum then militia men. The largest man was about the size of Sir Jose and wore heavy plate greaves but was stripped from the waist up. He had bits and pieces of what Kit assumed was once a well groomed beard, and from the bloody dagger he still held it appeared that he had cut his own chest and arms in bloody Xs. The second man still wore his guard uniform, but was drenched in blood. He had a nervous look to him and shivered uncontrollably as the party approached. The last man seemed more like a boy. He was a tall individual with short blonde hair in light infantry armor and a bloodied tabard. Kit thought he looked familiar but could not tell since he was curled up in a ball in a corner slowly rocking back and forth.

"Ribbit, ribbit, croak, ribbit….. Ribbit, ribbit, croak, ribbit….. Ribbit, ribbit, croak, ribbit….. ," the boy repeated to himself.

As the boy repeated his mysterious mantra, Kaeda was busy examining the dead. "This one is severely injured but he isn't dead! Neither is this one" she exclaimed as she begun quickly sorting through the bodies. Trent on the other hand seemed mesmerized at the sight before him, and the Halfling had his weapon in hand.

"What's going on here? Where's Lord Todderly? "Demanded Grinder as the druid began separating the fallen from the still living bodies. Kit still wasn't sure if he was simply a mercenary, a guard, or perhaps a knight, but the grizzled warrior seemed more disgusted than shocked by the state of the remaining militia.

The man that was shivering backed himself further in a corner and cowered under Grinder while the rocking boy continued his nonsensical chant.

"Big fight, big croakers, "grimly answered the half armored man with the bloodied Xs.

Trent paused and seemed disturbed by the remark. "Wait, big croakers? You mean Slaad? Big frogs?" pressed the Halfling.

At the mention of the word frogs, the blonde boy shrieked a blood curdling scream. He sprang up from his squatting position and bolted into the interior of the keep. He pushed past one of the militia struggling to close the door, half tripping over a prone body in the process as he ran gibbering into the darkness. Maid began to chase after him but Grinder waved him off.

"Let him be. He'll be easier to handle when he settles down a bit. War can be hard, especially for green militia. Chasing pick pockets and roughing up drunks doesn't prepare one for bloody hand to hand combat. That's the worst case of combat fatigue I've ever seen," sighed Grinder at the fleeing youth.

Sir Jose snarled audibly, reminding everyone who gave the orders here.

"Maid, take some archers and secure the battlements. "

The Innkeeper nodded. She pointed at some of the militia's archers and then indicated where she wanted them posted. She then vanished and in a few seconds seemingly reappeared on the roof of the barracks.

"Kaeda, continue to check for survivors."

The druid attempted a curtsey for Jose's benefit but almost stumbled in the execution. Red faced with her blunder she resumed her methodical examination of the bodies scattered around the courtyard. A grim task since some of the casualties on both side seemed to be torn apart by some feral animal.

"Grinder get some guards to help you clear the courtyard of corpses."

The grizzled warrior waved some of his boys towards him, and they reluctantly waited on Kaeda to finish examining the bodies. To his credit, even after having rank pulled on him by Sir Jose, he took his task seriously and kept his weapons at the ready; wary for any sign of danger.

"Kit, go after that crazy guy, we need to question him."

The squire smiled approvingly at her lord's orders and readied her kukris. On the battlefield he exuded a commanding presence that instilled confidence and courage in his charges but away from battle he was typically sullen and often moody. Kit thought it was good that he stepped out of his comfort zone and showed everyone the leader he truly was.

"Trent, take some men and secure the keep ."

The Halfling sergeant seemed to share Kit's sentiment and grinned at the paladin. He spurred Fluffy 2 to step gingerly over some bodies and entered the keep with his men in tow.

Sir Jose scanned the breach and the warzone and shook his head. "Lady Ogela should have spared some of her Lion knights or at least landed some Griffon Knights to help with the defense here. They can't expect green guardsmen to properly repulse a siege."

Grinder snorted and pointed to a fallen banner. "Some of these boys were militia but not all of them."

Kit thought the comment curious and turned around before she fully entered the keep. She glanced at the banner that Grinder had now retrieved and planted. It was a pale flag with a proud white lion emblazoned on it. Suddenly the squire realized who the boy she was pursing was and why he looked so familiar.

"Rasmus….," she said sadly.


	38. Chapter 38

Kitahria raced into the keep, after the haggard youth. The squire noticed wounded or dead men stacked along the corridor as she chased after her prey. It didn't take long till she caught up with the stumbling boy who fell as he ran and rolled into a corner. She couldn't believe her eyes, but upon further inspection of her nose she confirmed it was Rasmus.

Kit wasn't sure what had happened. When last she saw the squire she recalled he was the epitome of an untested hero. He was tall, athletic, lean, and with a clear beautiful complexion; he had a chiseled jaw and soft heroic features that still had a certain boyish charm. Kit almost swooned at the thought of the handsome blonde boy and was shocked to find what he had become. Before her now was a haggard disheveled youth with sunken crazed eyes. In her memory, he was standing tall and proud, but now he was simply cringing in the corner, bizarrely scratching at his skin at some phantom affliction. As she looked at him , Kit realized reluctantly that even the will of heroes broke in battle. She shook her head at the sight of how far he had fallen, more out of pity than disappointment.

Kit sheathed her kukris and approached the fallen squire with care. "Rasmus, I don't know what's happened with you but it's alright now," she said while grasping for words of encouragement. "You've won the battle, you held the keep."

" .Stay b. , "gibbered Rasmus as he continued to scratch his skin.

Kit sighed and continued her approach despite his warning. "It's alright, your fight is over now," she said softly.

Rasmus kicked his feet in an almost comical manner as he futilely attempted to scamper further into the corner. "S..Stay b.. ….,"he repeated again.

Kit continued her advance with her hand outstretched to help him. While she admitted she was nervous and apprehensive when she first met Rasmus, the roles apparently were turned around as the disgraced young man cringed at her approach.

"Kit! Stay back! "Commanded a small but stern voice behind the squire.

Kit stopped and turned to see Sergeant Trent on his war dog Fluffy 2. She noted that the Halfling and his men were cautiously making their way through the bodies, careful not to get too close to them.

Kit was puzzled by this behavior, but paid heed to the Halfling's warning and pulled back from Rasmus. When she gauged she was at a safe distance she turned her attention back to Trent who she was shocked to see was now covering the cowering man with his crossbow. "What's going on Trent? " She demanded. " That's Rasmus, don't you remember? Ogela's squire back at Essuria. It's not a heroic sight but even veteran's break under the stress of battle. "

Trent nodded his head in agreement, but did not lower his weapon. "Aye. I've been through the Great War, and more skirmishes and battles then I would have liked. I've seen good men, brave men, break and run from the stress. "

Kit looked on in exasperation. "Then you of all people can forgive Rasmus for losing his will."

Trent paused and looked puzzled briefly. He gave Kit a brief glance and studied her expression before returning his gaze to Rasmus. "You don't understand. I'm not arresting him or anything for cowardice or anything like that. I'm just keeping a close eye on him , in case…in case he changes."

"Changes?" Kit asked as Rasmus continued to scratch at the blemishes on his skin.

"Sir! This one has lumps….and …and they're moving!" shouted one of Trent's men from behind. Kit saw that the men were using clubs and truncheons to forcefully probe the wounded or dead men. Kit thought it was rough treatment, but the soldiers under the Halfling's command seemed more cautious than cruel. Currently they seemed to be concerned over a particular wounded soldier with , from her distance, similar blemishes to Rasmus.

"Careful ! Stay back! " warned Trent as he waved Kit towards the object of his men's attention. " You in the back, go tell Sir Jose what you've seen immediately. The rest of you keep checking the bodies. Kit, you have more experience in this than my men. I want you to examine that particular body and tell me what you see. Treat it like an infectious disease."

Kit smelled no signs of disease, and was puzzled by Trent's caution. Regardless of her doubts she did as he asked, and approached the body with care and examined it carefully with her keen vision.

She saw immediately that the guardsmen were correct. The man did have lumps under his skin, near the neck in particular. They had discolored his skin to an odd shade of bright blue, and with her keen vision she saw they were appeared to be vibrating on their own. From the scratch marks on him, she guessed the soldier attempted to claw them out unsuccessfully before he passed out. She guessed it was some sort of parasitic infection and was glad she was as wary as Trent had suggested. Kit had encountered similar afflictions like this in the past, though not as bizarre or severe as the current victim before her. While her skin was mostly weapon resistant, she knew she was far from disease proof.

"It looks like blue eggs under his skin," she reported as she withdrew. "Do you know what this is?" she asked wondering if it was some sort of biological weapon used in the Great Halfling war, or some sort of exotic disease he had encountered in his long and varied travels.

"Maybe, "replied Trent cryptically. "In the Great War, us Halflings inflicted many cruelties upon each other the likes of which had never been seen. I'm sure you've heard the tales of giant constructs, flights of dragons, controlled purple worms and other horrors, but the worse was the demon summons."

Kit nodded, but in truth knew little about the Great Halfling war. She always thought it was just a bunch of Halflings lined up against each other in the tundra and threw snowballs at each other till one side got all wet. Then the lot of them went home and had hot chocolate or something cutesy like that.

"Well as a ranger which specializes in hunting evil outsiders you should know that summoning one demon is bad enough, but the mages and demonologists discovered ways of unleashing hordes of the monsters," said Trent.

Kit drew her blades instinctively at his explanation and eyed the wounded carefully. She knew some demons were capable of infecting others, but this didn't seem right. Her carefully honed smell and other senses were attuned to pick up the presence of evil outsiders. She didn't smell any trace of them here.

"While demons are amongst the most destructive denizens of the outerplanes, their specialized nature makes them vulnerable to specific attacks. Specifically blessed magic, cold iron weapons, and even wards against evil were used to keep them at bay or minimize their impact. Eventually the summoners began using variation of their magics and instead of bringing forth demons from the Abyss they pulled into this world creatures from other, but equally violent planes," elaborated Trent.

Kit was still skeptical and unsure what he was saying, but decided to do what Sir Jose would do. That was to nod confidently and act like she understood.

"One of the most violent planes in the Great Wheel is that of the ever changing wastes of Limbo. Great frog like creatures called the Slaad use to inhabit that world, and they were pulled into our world by desperate summoners hoping to end the war. While not inherently evil they were a terribly destructive and violent race of creatures," said Trent.

Kit lowered her weapons slightly and felt a bit relaxed. While her knowledge of planes outside of the lower ones was not perfect, she did know a thing or two about Limbo. "Aye I've heard of the Slaad, they're supposed to be an ancient race of frog gods or something. They don't exist anymore , I heard they got wiped out by the Primordials, the chaos snakes that currently rule that realm. "

Trent shook his head. "The Githyanki that we fight exist in mighty Astral Fortresses drifting on the edge of Limbo, but there are just transplanted survivors not natural inhabitants of that chaos plane. Creatures such as Slaad or Primordials on the other hand, are monsters shaped from the very essence of chaos. The Slaad were once as numerous as ants in that world and they wouldn't have been wiped out that easy. Instead, they simply vanished one day and were replaced by the so called chaos snakes, or Primordials that you mentioned. Over night from what I've been told. Such is the unpredictable reality of the plane of Limbo, where an entire species could be replaced in a blink of an eye. "

Kit thought the Halfling was simply babbling now, but decided to humor him anyways. "Well, let's say there are still some Slaad left, and someone was able to summon one here. If it was a summoning the duration of the spell is probably over by now. Are you telling me one snuck in here and had infected these guys with some sort of disease? If so , it shouldn't be a problem , we can probably get Sir Jose or maybe Kaeda to cure it. I don't see any giant frog men now, and I certainly don't smell or hear them. We should be ok if we take proper precautions while handling this infection. "

"I'm not sure about anything actually. I agree with you that if these Slaad were summoned, there certainly aren't any more of them here, at least not of the initial batch. The funny thing about Slaads are that they don't reproduce like normal creatures or create more of themselves like outsiders by transforming souls. They take a more direct approach and implant their eggs under the skins of their victim. It sometimes takes days or sometimes a few hours, but these eggs literally transform their host into one of their own by channeling a chunk of Limbo into them in some bizarre arcane process," warned Trent.

Kit stopped and gave a horrified look to Rasmus. "Wait, if that's true…shouldn't we do something like cure them or ….kill them," she said in a hollow voice.

"The problem is, I'm only repeating what I can remember. I'm not sure if these guys were infected by Slaad or not. I'm just going by the claw marks, the color of the infections, and the guy making ribit noises outside, "replied Trent in frustration. "I'm not sure if they can be treated, and I definitely won't kill them just because of a hunch. Judging by the terrible toll of this siege, I'm guessing our old friend Mayor Gregor released them on the keep. They probably turned on his forces as well, which would explain why the enemy are huddled safely in that square instead of pressing their attack. By their very definition, the forces of raw chaos are impossible to control for long."

Kit understood his dilemma and wasn't sure what to do as well. If it was a demon infestation she knew the proper procedures to exorcise and remove demonic taint. Even if it was some infernal dealing, she knew the correct methods to break the contract and the holy techniques to atone for a sin. Identifying and dealing with the forces of Chaos from Limbo however was outside her element of expertise. She knew the safest course of action would be to kill the host, but couldn't bring herself to do so. Especially since one of the possible victims would be Rasmus.

As Kit and Trent awaited Sir Jose's arrival , the fallen squire began shrieking in pain as he continued to claw at his arm. Kit watched in horror as he scratched furiously at his growing blue blemish and felt sick in her stomach as he even attempt to tear at them with his teeth.

Kit couldn't stand what the boy had become, and though she didn't want to kill him, she knew that ending him now would be an act of mercy not murder. She approached the frenzied youth still huddled in the corner with her kukri and felt her eyes water up. "I'm sorry Rasmus, I didn't want it to end this way, " she apologized as she drew closer. She felt stupid since all she knew of him was his rank and his name. She wanted to say how she regretted not getting a chance to know him better, but couldn't bring herself to say those words. She instead concentrated on the quickest way to dispatch the boy. A quick slash across the throat would be the quickest and least messy she decided coldly.

As she readied for her strike, a roar from behind and yelps of surprise and pain filled the corridor. Judging by the proximity of the sound, Kit rolled to the left and spun to face her opponent. She was rewarded for her quick thinking as a massive warty blue claw struck the spot she had recently stood. Kit recoiled in disgust as she faced a massive blue toad like humanoid standing over the broken body of one of the guardsmen. It was covered in filthy warts and seemingly parts of a man that it had just emerged from. From the exploded corpse, she guessed the creature before her burst through the body , which was strange since its volume was many times greater than the infected wounded man she had observed earlier.

Regardless of how this creature came to being, it lunged at her with its massive jaws while swinging wildly at her with its great clawed hands. Kit wanted to strike back, but it was all she could do to weave and dodge from the attacks targeting her. She evaded the creature's initial strikes and found an opening to slip into as she narrowed the gap between herself and her much larger opponent.

While this massive frog creature filled the corridor, it was incredibly nimble and shifted its weight easily in the passage. Kit noted that it was slightly larger than an ogre, but still managed to move around like a creature half its size. Kit gave the monster a series of quick slashes and was rewarded with several sprays of blood in return. The monster was not immune to her blades and that meant she had a chance. Some the creature's ichorous fluid sprayed on her , and Kit wondered if she would get infected as well from the contact.

Before her mind filled with worry, the monster slammed her into the wall with a broad spike shoulder. Kit felt her frame rattled from the impact of the blow, but was thankful that whatever the creature was made of, it was not silver as the spikes on his shoulder did not pierce her skin. Her good fortune was short lived though as the creature then snapped at her with its oversized frog mouth. While wary of its speed, Kit was still surprised at how quickly it bit her and found herself engulfed in darkness as sharp teeth slammed into her gut. While her skin saved her from a fatal blow, she still felt the force of the creature's snapping jaws as they punctured her back and stomach.

For all purposes Kit should have been filled with fear, but Sir Jose had taught her well. Even as she was being eaten alive she recalled him spouting off something about danger being real, but fear being a choice. She took his chivalric nonsense to heart as she methodically began stabbing the roof the creature's mouth with one kukri and the back of its throat with the other. She felt something long , flexible and slimy wrap around her instantly to restrict her movements , but she still able to jab the inside of the creature's mouth with one of her blades.

Kit felt the muscular undulating appendage tighten lewdly across her chest , throat and face, and knew it was most likely the creature's frog tongue. Confronted by her greatest fear, she felt she would freeze from the grasping, flexible tentacle but she continued her seemingly futile assault relentlessly into the creature's throat. Kit almost laughed at the fact that she had finally conquered her eastern cultural fear of tentacles, now that she was doomed to be frog food.

As the squire prepared for her doom, her world exploded into light as the tongue released the grip on her and she was spat unceremoniously out of the monster's mouth. Kit fell to the ground, but managed to land on one knee. Even though she was covered in creature's disgustingly gummy saliva she could still see from her partially goo obscured vision the blue frog creature stumbling back in pain with a crossbow bolt embedded in its eyes.

Fluffy 2 seized the opportunity and leaped at the reeling monstrosity and began snapping and tearing at its rough hide. The big frog recovered from its blow however and sent a slashing claw into Fluffy's ribs, piercing and pinning the dog into the wall.

As Fluffy whined from its injury, Kit wiped the remaiing sludge from her eyes and summoned the strength for another attack. She leapt at the distracted creature and delivered strikes at its neck and lower spine, hoping that its physiology was similar to most humanoids and attempting some sort of paralyzing strike. Her gamble paid off as the big frog croaked in surprise. It released Fluffy as it fell while its arms and legs lashed out erratically around him. Kit managed to retain enough balance and strength to skip backwards out of its range, but Trent seemed undeterred as he dodged a claw and pushed his way next to the monsters head.

Before the creature could snap up the small Sergeant, Trent thrust the bayonet attached to his crossbow into the frog's remaining eye. The now blinded creature roared again, but was quickly silenced as Trent fired a bolt point blank , piercing the monster's skull. It's entire body shuddered as it quickly collapsed into itself and began to rapidly fade away.

Kit caught her breath and frowned. While most physical traces of the monster vanished, the squire was very disappointed that the mucus and slime that had covered her hadn't. She thought she must have looked like a mess, but then realized the gravity of the situation she was in.

"Trent! I'm covered in this filth! I might be infected too! "exclaimed Kit, hoping to all the gods that she wouldn't have one of those frog things burst out of her.

Trent shook his head, but Kit saw he wasn't smiling. The Halfling calmly loaded his crossbow again and walked to his injured dog. With his bayonet he drew back some of his fur and showed Kit a series of slightly blue lumps on its skin where the monster had pierced him. "Technically these creatures don't infect people, they breed with them. I know it sounds disgusting, and it is really, but this particular strain of Slaad propagates its species with its body spikes, mostly the ones on its hands. "

Kit processed the information, and remembered that the Slaad had shoulder blocked her earlier. She quickly checked where it struck her and breathed a sigh of relief as her enchanted skin had saved her from being impregnated by the monster's spikes.

As the guardsmen returned with Sir Jose and Kaeda in tow, the paladin frowned as he scanned the scene before him.

"We had one transform outside, but we put it down," reported Kaeda sadly.

"I cured all the victims that I could, but I've used the extent of my curative lay on hands powers, " said the paladin gravely.

"I ..I'm a druid. I'm not a healer. I..I.. don't have the means to cure these men in time, "stuttered Kaeda in shame.

Trent nodded and slumped his shoulders. He then scratched the top of his injured dog's head one more time and it whined pitifully in response. "I'm sorry Fluffy 2. You were a brave dog. I'm proud to have you serve me as a mount, "apologized Trent before shooting it through the neck. The dog expired quickly, and Kit morbidly noted that the blemishes on Fluffy faded away as well.

Trent suppressed a tear and then turned to Sir Jose. The paladin returned a nod and the Halfling sighed before facing the guards under his command. " We can't lose any more men battling giant blue frogs. Search thoroughly for infections, and execute any that have signs of it," ordered Trent in a weary voice. "Do it quick , do it mercifully. And pray someone does the same to you if the time comes. "

Kit's heart fell. Normally her blood pumped with adrenaline after a victory, especially against such a terrible foe, but she felt no joy facing the slaughter that was to come. She turned and saw that Rasmus was still curled in the corner.

" bac.k, Stay bback!", he continued to muttered in a dead voice, oblivious to the danger that would soon befall him.


	39. Chapter 39

Kit ignored the mucus still dibbling off her hair and face. Despite killing hundreds of men, demi humans, and humanoids in the past, the squire hesitated at the thought of her next victim.

"Nooo…," pleaded Rasmus as the youth kicked pathetically in the corner.

Kit looked at the tall and formerly handsome youth and shook her head. She had seen men lose their cool and nerve, but never seen one fall so low. Kit suspected some of the Slaad eggs must have poisoned Rasmus's mind, but even with this knowledge she felt a deep disappointment. It unnerved her to think such a shining paragon of knightly virtues could be reduced so much.

"I can do this," offered Trent softly as he aimed his crossbow at the broken youth. " If you're not strong enough," he added.

In the recent past Kit would have taken his statement as a veiled insult or some such thing, but she acknowledged the Halfling was just trying to help. Instead of taking his offer though, she shook her head. "I can do this. I will do this. "

Kit drew her blade and approached the cringing Rasmus. She was a professiona,l she had done this many times in the past she told herself. Killing him would be a mercy she thought. If she didn't do it soon, the eggs that the Slaad had inserted in him will hatch and turn him into a Slaad as well. She saw the fatal results first hand, and knew the once brave and heroic youth would not wish to perish that way. She reasoned that if she was infected in such a manner that someone would put her out of her misery quickly.

As she got closer, the disheveled youth lunged at Kit unexpectedly from the corner. While he looked like a wreck, his lean athletic physique was still powerful and he slammed into her with great force in an attempt to bull his way through. Kit grunted from the impact as she was pushed back, but remained standing as Rasmus succeeded in slipping by her. She took the hit in stride , attributing it to the slime still dripping from her, and swiveled quickly to face her fleeing opponent.

Kit was surprised at the speed Rasmus was still capable of as she chased him further in into the keep. Sir Jose was following the youth but she knew his heavy armor would be a detriment in a chase. She could hear Trent in pursuit as well, but the Halflings short legs would prevent him from keeping up.

Kit bolted after him , determined to end his suffering and put an end to the spontaneous creation of any more of these astral frogmen. Despite his head start, she followed Rasmus through what appeared to be the armory, and then down the stairs to the storage rooms.

Rasmus in his maddened flight threw shelving and barrels before Kit, but the nimble squire's dark vision allowed her to spot the obstacles and easily hopped and dodged past them. As she narrowed the distance between her prey, Rasmus suddenly spun around and leaped at her. The maddened youth's attack was quick and gave Kit no chance to properly dodge. Even as she attempted a dodge, she saw a flash of metal, and felt the sharp pain of a cut across her arm.

Kit felt the blade bite deep, but ignored the pain and lashed out with her foot in a backwards leg sweep; catching Rasmus in the ankle and sending him crashing to the ground as as he attempted to flee again. As she spun and faced her now prone foe, she confirmed he had pulled a dagger of some sort on her. She eyed the weapon warily, and knew from her wound that it was silver. Not surprising since most Northern knights carried a silver weapon of some sort. Centuries of fighting devil armies, lycanthrope outbreaks, and undead had made carrying such specialized armaments mandatory, and Kit guessed that Rasmus carried one as well.

Rasmus scrambled up and lunged at Kit again, but she was ready for the attack this time. She jerked backwards; dodging the blade by inches, then stepped forwards to the side and caught his arm with hers. She applied all her strength to the trapped arm, and for a second both Rasmus and her were stalemated in that position. Her gaze met his briefly and she saw the maddened look in his eyes. For a second she felt pity for him, but a sharp snapping sound quickly brought the youth screaming in pain.

Kit stepped back as Rasmus fell to the ground clutching his broken arm. Kit saw that the bone she fractured wasn't the only thing that caused him to scream as the blue lumps on his neck began to pulsate and vibrate in a sickening manner.

"Puh..puh..puhlease ….kill ..memee," begged Rasmus as some shred of his sanity returned.

Kit nodded and readied her kukri at his request. A quick slash across the throat would end his suffering quickly and relatively painlessly.

It would be better this way she thought to herself; better for any remaining survivors, better for Sasserine, and even better for Rasmus himself.

Despite her rationalization, Kit found she could not deliver the killing blow. Regardless of her feelings towards Rasmus, and the need to execute him painlessly, she couldn't bring himself to slaughter him in such a fashion. This wasn't right. There must be another way she thought. There has to be.

"Do it, do it quick! " shouted Trent as the Halfling finally caught up.

"I, I can't, " admitted Kit as she stood over Rasmus once again, this time careful for any sudden movements.

Trent nodded and aimed his crossbow carefully.

"Wait!" ordered a gruff voice.

"Why don't you guys just cure him?" asked Grinder as the veteran mercenary huffed his way down into the storage room. Sir Jose followed a short while later, moving at a slow but steady pace.

"Because Sir Jose has already expended his paladin healing touch," replied Trent who stayed his hand briefly.

Grinder shrugged then pointed at Kit. "What about her?"

Jose shook his head. "Kit is more of a ranger, with an unfortunate splash of ahem assassin. She doesn't have that power."

Grinder scratched his head. "Wait, you're a paladin right Jose? " He asked which was replied with a nod.

"And she's your squire, correct? "

Which was followed by another nod by the paladin.

"Then why isn't she a paladin? "

Kit blushed at the questions concerning her, but remained quiet. She had failed in her duty to kill Rasmus and did not want to add to her shame.

Jose scowled. "It's complicated. Let's just say Keeta's more my …errr…ward than a squire. I took her under my wing instead of killing her a while ago, and she's been my side kick ever since. She can't lay on hands , cure disease , smite evil or any of those other paladin disciplines like I can. "

Satisfied that Grinder's questions had been answered Trent steadied his aim again; hoping to end Rasmus's life with a quick shot between the eyes.

"Wait,wait,wait!" interrupted Grinder once again. "Are you sure she's not a paladin? She seems to follow what you say, and even though she's not clanking around in heavy armor, she seems to emulate your ways. The mercy, obedience, duty , and all that crap," questioned the mercenary . " Also, you claim she's an assassin but the Southern keep's wards would have detected it if she radiated evil, like that cat dwarf you have. So unless they aren't working , she's definitely not an assassin."

Kit didn't recall any alarms being set by Pig Iron but did recall she entered the keep much later than he did.

"Look, she's an EX-assassin. OK? " Asserted Sir Jose. "Are you happy now? You've drag this on long enough, for both Rasmus and Keeta. I hate this as much as the next guy, but we have no other choice. I suspect this keep was assaulted by Slaad, and it was a miracle they fended them off. I won't risk the rest of this city suffering another outbreak or infection, so we have to end this now. I wish there was another way, but there isn't."

Rasmus screams grew more frenzied, but noticeably weaker. Trent knew it was only a matter of time and let loose his bolt.

The room fell quiet as the screaming stopped.

"Kit, "whispered Trent as he saw his crossbow bolt had embedded into her back. During the heat of the moment, she had leaped on top of Rasmus and into the path of the Halfling's shot.

"I'm ok," replied Kit as she shot back up and yanked the bolt from her back. Her armor had been pierced but her supernatural skin had saved her from a potentially deadly blow. While Rasmus's dagger had been silver, thankfully Trent's crossbow bolt wasn't.

"Keeta, I admire your compassion, but stand back," ordered Sir Jose with a sigh.

Trent reloaded his weapon as he walked closer for a better shot. As the Halfling was ready to shoot, he stopped and lowered his weapon.

"The infection, it's gone," Trent stated as he stared at Rasmus lieing still on the ground. The youth was curled into a ball in a peaceful state, but more importantly the blue nodes on the back of his neck had vanished.

"I..I think I cured him," stated Kit as she held out her hands. She looked at them in confusion as they were outlined with a fading soft blue glow.

"How?" asked Trent and Sir Jose simultaneously in amazement.

"Pfft…I told you she was a paladin," sniffed Grinder.

* * *

After sweeping the rest of the keep for survivors, wounded, and infected guardsmen, Kit had returned to the courtyard. Sir Jose and Kaeda were busy organizing supplies they had procured from the supply room, while Trent was seeing to the battered barrack's defenses. Pig Iron was catching mice as Grinder was honing his blade. Maid had already secured the high battlements, and decided to join her friend after talking to Trent about the recent revelations about Kit. The Innkeeper was all too happy it seems to inquire about the details and press the matter, no matter how uncomfortable it made her friend.

"So…..when were you going to tell me about your vocation change?" teased Maid as she wiped the last of the frog mucus off of Kit. The Innkeeper had a wide grin that would have seemed mocking to the squire if the question was posed by anyone else, but Maid was a friend and she allowed her the benefit of the doubt.

Kit looked at Maid and wasn't sure what to say. She took a deep breath and tried to explain it as best she could.

"I'm not sure when it happened. I've known Sir Jose for a few years now, but I've never felt the urge to become a paladin or anything. He's always been kind to me and taught me stuff, but I never saw him as a teacher or mentor. To tell you the truth, I regard him more like a dumb big brother, or some drunken jolly father figure, rather than a role model to follow. Someone I can get along and even work with , but definitely not learn from," sighed Kit.

Maid nodded as she brushed the young girl's short reddish hair. "Remember when I first met you? You were sent to scout that goblin sentry outpost. You were so damn cocky and sure of yourself you tried to take it out yourself, despite the opportunity to call for back up and getting the job done right. You failed of course, but that didn't change your opinion that you were as good as Sir Jose over there. I recalled you tried to look calm and collected but underneath that you were so full of rage, bloodlust, and pride at that time. Afterwards, you were all too happy to engage that entire tribe of goblins and ogres by yourself . Despite your lack of humility, I found your daring charming, though it did seem odd for a paladin and a brash young ranger assassin to be a team together."

Kit recalled those events and frowned at the memory of her arrogance. For the longest time she had followed the paladin because she feared a mark of justice was placed on her head, and the wrath of Nirrodin would strike her down if she didn't. It was hard to believe that she was so wild and obviously delusional. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but she did not dispute Maid's version of events.

"All that changed of course when you were almost killed by Mayor Gregor. I didn't think you hit your head that hard, but I remember you having a long private talk with Sir Jose. I could have listened in discreetly if I wanted, but I chose not to, however it doesn't take a genius to know that you changed after that. I heard that people who experience a near death experience often look at themselves and evaluate the course of their life. I'm guessing that's what happened to you," continued Maid as she pulled what looked like an ornamental hair pin from her belt pouch and attached it to the squire's now groomed hair.

Kit remembered that talk clearly. While Maid was accurate that she had reassessed her life after being smacked in the head by a silver plate, it was not evenly remotely the first time she was in a life threatening situation. She had come close to dying on many occasions while serving under Mogombo and then serving with Sir Jose as Demonhunter. The truth of the matter was that she was touched by Jose's admission that he spared her and kept her around even though she radiated an evil aura. Her master had hoped to change her, and give her a better path to life, but had failed to do so. Kit recalled the disappointment on her Lord's face and the sadness that filled her when she realized this.

Maid smiled.

"Afterwards I noticed a definite change in you. You still had that wild anger and desire for blood in you, but you tempered it with reason and compassion. Besides the fact you developed the signature paladin courage, you also became a bit more humble, though only a wee bit, and you selflessly helped those in need. Magda, Buckles, and even that boy Rasmus owe you their freedom or lives," noted Maid as she applied some powders to Kit's face. Kit thought her sensitive nose would be seized in a coughing fit, but oddly she did not succumb. The squire wasn't sure what the point of this was, but assumed it was some sort of makeup to hide the bruises and scars she had suffered recently.

"I'm glad you changed Kit, but not because of your new found divine powers. I'm glad you changed because you've found yourself and know who you are. Not many people get that opportunity to really view themselves critically and to take the path to become the person they want to be, that they were meant to be," explained Maid as she shot a glance back. Kit saw that her friend was staring at Sergeant Trent who was busy directing soldiers to shore up the defences of the keep. "I'm a bit jealous actually, but at the same time I'm truly happy for you."

At the Maid took a step back and judged Kit's now cleaned up appearance. She gave her a wink of approval and handed the squire a small mirror to look for herself. Kit wasn't sure the purpose of this, but was taken aback by the image that stared back at her. Gone was the shrewish hardnosed urchin that she always saw herself. Instead a pretty young girl, with a clear complexion and stylish coifed hair was before her in the mirror.

Kit was almost afraid to touch her face for fear of breaking the image that Maid had carefully wrought.

"Don't worry, you can touch. I specialize in bringing out one's natural beauty , not masking it with layers of cosmetics," laughed Maid lightly as she seemingly read the squire's mind.

Kit turned to thank her friend for this odd boon, but realized that she had vanished. Kit scanned around for Maid, but found no trace of her. She found it odd that her friend would vanish like that, but decided odd friends were better than no friends, and in Maid's case she felt very blessed indeed to have an odd friend like her.

"Excuse me lady Kitahria," stammered a weak voice from behind.

Kit sensed someone was approaching with her ears, but assumed it was simply a guardsman following Trent's orders. She turned and was confronted by a tall youth with his arm in a sling, he had a battered and haggard look to him.

"I can only remember bits and pieces of what happened, but I want to thank you for sparing and then saving my life, " said Rasmus with down cast eyes. Despite his weathered appearance, there was still a sense of boyish handsomeness about him that almost made Kit swoon. "I also want to apologize for attacking you earlier with my dagger. I know I wasn't in my right mind, but I'm ashamed to have attacked a fellow squire, especially one so ..."

Rasmus paused as he struggled to find the words. He finally lifted his eyes and met Kit's . " Especially one so fair, " he finally said with a bit more confidence in his voice.

Kit felt the blood rush to her head and almost fainted, but somehow kept her cool. She wasn't sure why but she felt more intimidated now than when she was facing Magda for the first time. Facing dragons was one thing, but facing handsome young men was another. As she struggled to reply to Rasmus, suddenly something deep and primal seemed to unlock from within her. This new sensation that bubbled to the surface was one that she never felt before but it seemed a part of her. She felt herself filled with a strange confidence and instinctively knew what to say.

"You know Rasmus, we were never properly introduced," said Kit in a sultry voice that she found both alien and strangely natural. " Please call me Kit, not Lady or Kitahria, just plain Kit."

Rasmus stopped and seemed unsure of himself. Kit simply batted her eyelashes at him and that seemed enough to spur the youth on. "Ras, my friends call me Ras," he finally stammered.

"Ras," said Kit slowly, savoring the youth's discomfort. " Well Ras, I hope you can count me as a friend."

* * *

Sir Jose spotted the pair from the far side of the courtyard. While Trent was busy with the defenses of the barracks, the paladin was taking stock of their supplies and weapons. He would have normally threw himself into the task, but he sensed something odd with Kit.

"What's up with her? Is she showing Rasmus her new paladin powers or something?" asked the knight to his assistant Kaeda.

The comely druid looked at Kit and shook her head with a knowing smile. "Actually I think her divine skills aren't the only powers that have been awakened."

Sir Jose puzzled over the statement and finally lifted and dropped his shoulders in defeat. "I give up, what powers are you talking about."

"Her heritage," Kaeda explained. Jose looked blankly as the explanation did nothing to clear his confusion. "Her bloodline,"she explained.

"Besides their heightened senses and enchanted skin, werefoxes are also known for their ability to befuddle and seduce," she noted.

Sir Jose pondered her statement and then palmed his forehead slowly, massaging his temples. "Oh great, just what I need. Besides an army of Githyanki attacking, a possible invasion by astral frogs, I have to worry about my squire hitting puberty," he groaned.


	40. Chapter 40

Sir Jose surveyed the burning city of Sasserine from the battlements and frowned. From his vantage point he saw that the enemy's reinforcements had stopped and most of the fighting around the town had ceased. He guessed this was due to the sieges broken at the Southern Gatehouse and here at the militia barracks. It was hard for goblins or giants to move through the city when militia strongpoints blocked their path. They could still scale walls or use the narrow back streets, but that made them easy targets for the fierce city defenders. Even the besiegers camped at the nearby square had dispersed as they realized the barracks had been reinforced. Despite the tide of the battle slowly tipping in their favor, the majority of the enemy's forces were still centered around the Citadel of the Lion. While Ogela and her Snow Lion knights fought bravely there, the enemy was slowly grinding them down.

Jose saw that the Griffon riders that had kept the Githyanki dragons at bay were seen less and less. The paladin hoped that those Griffon riders were not simply slain, and that Ogela were keeping them in reserve for the enemy's final push. More importantly he had not seen Magda for a while. The dragon's brutal skirmish attacks against her smaller kin was a significant tactical and morale boost to the defenders since she began her one dragon war of attrition against them. Sir Jose distrusted the dragon, but was appreciative of her efforts on the battlefield; he guessed from her absence that the beast was either finally slain or more likely she had grown bored of this conflict, and left to find easier prey to torment. Jose shook his head at the thought, and note not to mention it to Keeta.

"Any chance that we're a big enough thorn in their sides yet to draw off some attackers?" asked Trent as the Halfling hopped easily onto the battlements for a better view. " The militia barracks isn't as defensible as I would like , but we could make a pretty impressive stand here if they mobilize their full force against us. "

Sir Jose shook his head. "Sadly no. Those pale bastards don't care about their thralls, but they aren't stupid. They'll sacrifice every goblin and hobgoblin they have in this attack, but only if they sense victory. Our small victory here hinders but definitely doesn't stop them. "

Trent nodded. " You could wave that silver sword around. It will draw them like a dwarf to gold, or in our case ..mice. They'll all flock here in a second. "

Jose remained silent. The knight already knew that, but he was hesitant to admit to that fact. A paladin was immune to fear, but they certainly acknowledge it. Courage was one thing, overconfidence was another. While Trent was simply jesting about the barrack's fortifications, Jose was in a bad humor and took his statement seriously. He knew that if the Githyanki threw their full arcane and draconic might at them they would easily be swept aside. Jose would not risk the lives of his friends, the city , and possibly the fate of this timeline on such a stand.

Trent sensed the paladin's answer and shifted his attention to the courtyard below. The Halfling motioned with his small but prominent chin and directed Jose's attention towards an alluring young woman seemingly chatting carefree with the battered squire Rasmus. Sir Jose watched the pair and then realized in shock that the young woman was Keeta. The knight saw something was wrong; her demeanor, her body language, and even her confidence seemed different. Jose instinctively placed his hand over his sword pommel but did not draw his blade. "Doppelganger? " he asked as he bgean scanning for evil.

"Whoa…whoa….careful with that," interrupted a feminine voice from behind the knight. Jose's concentration was interrupted and he glanced back and saw it was Maid. The Innkeeper curtsied before she whimsically slipped past him and made her way to Trent's side.

"Something is wrong with Keeta. She doesn't seem like herself," noted the knight suspiciously as he stared at the pair.

Maid giggled as she hugged the Halfling, seemingly oblivious to Jose's ire. "She is that age you know where one changes both physically and mentally. It's hard enough for a normal human to deal with the switch between adolescence and adulthood, but I imagine it's even harder given her racial heritage. "

Jose scratched his head. "What do you mean exactly? Is she going to develop a taste for blood or something?"

"Oh, oh, I know! "Interrupted Trent. " It's like the time before my 33rd name day that I discovered I can eat my own body weight in pancakes. "

"Err yeah, something like that," smiled Maid seemingly like a cat that had just swallowed a canary.

Trent pounded his stomach hard with his mailed fist." The 'Doubling' is an important time in a Halfling's life. It's a great responsibility to handle you know, "the Halfling declared proudly.

Sir Jose suppressed a laugh as Maid explained," Kit's a werefox. A very ….sensual…. creature when encountered in the wild. The fact that she's been orphaned from her people, and raised under your strict regime has delayed her growth, but the changes you are noticing are inevitable. Also let's not forget that besides her subtle physical transformations she also advanced on a professional basis as well. Gawds imagine the trouble a teenager who's magically warded against fear can get into."

Jose scowled but eventually sighed,"I hoped my teachings would temper her angry outlook on life, but I honestly didn't think that she would become a paladin. Well I guess there's no helping it then." He then turned towards the Harbor Keep that was barely visible through the smoke of battle. "Regardless of what's happening with Keeta, we still have to get to that keep."

Trent raised an eyebrow. " What about the goblins? They left the square but that doesn't mean they aren't still lurking around. And let's not forgot about the Slaad."

Maid shook her head. "I already scouted the area. The goblins and giants that were huddled in the town square broke of course. When the frog men turned against them, they lost their will to fight. No signs of the big croakers either, or any of their spawn. I'm guessing Gregor knew how to stop any of them from hatching. "

"Gregor," spat Jose angrily at the mention of the traitor demon summoning mayor.

Trent hopped off the battlement. "Alright, I'll muster the troops then. If the path is clear it won't take us long to secure the Harbor," declared the Halfling with a crisp salute. "I'm sure Kit will do her duty with as much efficiency and gusto as she always has."

Maid nodded. "Yes, I'm sure she will."

* * *

The barrack's courtyard was busy, as guardsman enacted repairs and reinforcements on the fortifications. After the stronghold was secured, a bright green Husky banner was flown and a signal fire was lit on top of the tallest tower, and since that time a steady stream of beleaguered guards and refugees had been filtering in.

Kit could see the renewed vigor and spirit of the soldiers and militia as they entered the fortress, and their new will to fight. She was well aware of the importance of morale, since her lord often quoted that 'morale was as important as armor in a battle'. The claim sounded dubious at best, but Kit could not dispute the effect it was having on the soldiers. When they entered the bastion they seemed beaten and defeated, but now they seemed recharged and ready to fight again under the influence of their Order's proud furry dog banner. Even Kit was taken back at the sight of the majestic flag, and wondered what the great heroes of the past like Knight Commander Vasa and the Champion Zax, thought when their war banner fly proudly. While judging the mental state of soldiers was amusing, she had a more important matter to deal with.

Kit sauntered forward then leaned and 'accidently' pressed her tight upper body lightly against squire Rasmus. "So tell me how you fought bravely and held the keep again," she asked in a husky voice before breaking off their brief contact.

While the squire was trained in paladin hood by Lady Ogela, he still fidgeted uncomfortably in anxiety and nervousness. "I..I..was just doing my duty. I had to . I had no place to run, " he admitted as he returned a weak smile.

"Oh, you are so adorable when you do the humble act," teased Kit . "I bet you lead the….Oww! "

"Pardon me, " offered Maid to the nervous squire, as she dragged Kit away by the ear. Though her were fox skin was resistant to cuts and blunt force, that did not mean they weren't sensitive to a hard yank. The Innkeeper quickly lead Kit to the main gate where Grinder, Pig Iron, Kaeda as well as a small detachment of handpicked soldiers were waiting.

"What did you do that for! " huffed Kit in annoyance after Maid had released her grip. All sense of her newly mature demeanor vanished as it was replaced with her previous irate and insecure self.

"Meow," commented Pig Iron as the dwarf licked his hand.

"Geeze, I can almost cut the pheromones in the air with a knife," ," said Maid with a smile. " A woman's ability to flirt can be a dangerous weapon. You need to learn to control it. I can't let you tease every boy you fancy . Besides, we have a war to fight and I need bitter, angry Kit at my side, not aroused 'girl in heat' Kit."

Kit attempted to protest the less than flattering comparison, but was cut off when Sir Jose mounted high on Greenpaw and Sergeant Trent mounted similarly on Fluffy 2 leaped before them.

"One more fortress to take, one more step to drive the enemy out of SASSERINE!" declared the knight .

"SASSERINE! " echoed the gathered men, as well as the soldiers manning the walls.

"DAROS LUCHA!" roared Sir Jose as his famous war cry echoed throughout the keep.

"DAROS LUNCHerrrA , DAVeOS LUrcha! Wait is that a secret phrase? ARROWS LOOSEA! What if we have a sling or crossbow? I don't use arrows. I don't think he said arrows, DARIUS LUCINA! Isn't that the name of an emperor?" was the mixed reaction from the men.

Kit however knew exactly what her lord meant and happily shouted his battlecry back at him. "DAROS LUCHA!" she yelled as her battle lust swelled with in her. While boys may still be new to her, spilling blood would always be her first love, and when Sir Jose shouted Daros Lucha , that meant a fight would soon come.

* * *

Grinder signaled the group to advance another block, before disappearing behind a wall again. While most of the detachment could not see what they were doing, Kit knew that the grizzled warrior and Maid took turns as they leap frogged past each other while scouting. It was a fairly simple system that Maid and her often employed, and Kit found it a bit of a relief that someone else was partnering with the Innkeeper for the next short while. The two had gotten them halfway towards the harbor already, and even surprised a few giant stragglers and a band of goblins along the way. Not enough to satisfy Kit's desire for combat, but enough to whet her appetite.

Kit was surprised that Grinder was capable of rotating scouting duties with Maid and herself, as the soldiers made their way across the war torn town. She noted that Maid and herself were probably better at stealth and subterfuge than the grizzled warrior, but she admitted that he wasn't bad and also conceded that he knew the back streets of Sasserine better than either of them did. From the few times that Kit saw him in battle she guessed that he was a ranger or scout of some sort. She observed that Grinder kept mostly to himself or on the occasion to Sir Jose and saw there was a bit of familiarity between the two. Kit wasn't sure what their exact history was, but it didn't surprise her that her Lord knew the scruffy mercenary. From her time with the paladin, she had met many of his strange and often bizarre acquaintances, and Grinder was far from the most off beat.

The rest of the detachment, with Kit covering the rear, advanced block by block, normally waiting only a few minutes before given the signal to move forwards. Kit knew it was only a few more blocks before she replaced the man and she was waiting eagerly in anticipation. As she counted down the advance signals, a gentle tap on the shoulder broke her concentration.

"Miss Kit, can we talk?" whispered Kaeda as she fell back from the main pack.

Kit rolled her eyes at the tall druid, still wearing her tight flowery cocktail dress, as she attempted to hide through the city. While the lovely nature priestess stood out fairly obviously amongst the rubbled buildings, Kit admitted that at least she couldn't possibly stick out more than Sir Jose riding his big green dog. "Go ahead, I'm all ears," she said as she pointed at her ears which were currently changed to improve her perception of the area.

Kaeda nodded , but Kit noted no smile or giggle from her. She was slightly disappointed that her attempt at humor was unsuccessful, especially since she had been saving hat line for awhile.

"What does Daros Lucha mean?" asked the druid nervously as she stared at Sir Jose leading the group from the front.

Kit was a bit puzzled by her question but replied anyways. " It's Darokin. As you know Sir Jose comes from that southern country, specifically from the poor Northern section. I believe it roughly translates to Freedom for Darokin. "

Kit observed that Kaeda looked a bit relieved at the revelation. "Thank you, I thought it meant something else, " the druid admitted sheepishly.

"Something else? Like what?" asked Kit curiously. What could make the druid ask her for the meaning of Sir Jose's battlecry rather than ask him directly; especially since the two now shared a bed together. Kit would rather not think about it, and the pair didn't directly announce their relationship, but she didn't need sharp hearing and a keen nose to see that the two were now a couple.

Kit watched Kaeda and saw a sad look on her lovely face. Kit smelled the anxiety on the druid and wasn't sure if she would answer her. "I thought it meant someone else, not something else," Kaeda finally relented.

"Someone else? There's no someone else," snickered Kit, amused that even beautiful nature priestesses were not immune from suspicions and jealousy.

"Who's Stille?" Kaeda asked bluntly.

Kit stopped in her tracks. The werefox had nothing but the highest respect and adoration for the beautiful Baroness in question, but she felt uncomfortable discussing her with the druid. Kit couldn't believe that Sir Jose mentioned her to Kaeda. She didn't know too much about relationships, but even she knew that one should never mention your ex lover to one's new lover. "Err…Stille? That's an odd name ?"

"You are a poor liar. Who is Stille? "repeated Kaeda.

Kit was torn. She was taught to be honest by Sir Jose, but she was pretty sure that didn't mean ratting out his former flame to his new girlfriend, or whatever he considered Kaeda. Besides the awkward nature of the request, she was pretty sure it wasn't her business to delve into such private matters.

"I've heard him mumble her name occasionally when he sleeps, and once he accidentally called out to her when we were making love," stated the druid a growing wetness in her eyes. " I want to confront him with this, but…but I don't know how."

Kit was speechless. She thought her lord had long buried any feelings he had for Baroness Stille. She also knew the druid and her master were a couple, but having that knowledge thrown directly into her face made her even more uncomfortable.

"Did he love her?" demanded Kaeda desperately. Kit felt cornered and reluctantly nodded.

"Was she good hearted?"

"Was she tall?"

"Was she educated?"

"Was she pretty?"

"Was she competent?"

"Was she powerful?"

"Was she rich?"

Kit did not say a word , but mutely nodded to each question. The baroness was one of the people that rescued her from Mogombo and she was all those things and more. She knew she had betrayed her Lord but she could not refuse the broken woman's questions.

"Is..Is she still alive?" asked Kaeda with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Kit reached forwards and hugged the druid, then nodded once more. She wondered what had she done. She wanted to tell Kaeda that it was in the past, but she couldn't. She always knew, deep in her heart, that Sir Jose still harbored feelings for the Lady Stille; Kaeda's admission that she heard him mutter her name in his sleep and while they were making love confirmed it. There was of course a possibility that perhaps he was thinking of something else, but Kit knew that it wasn't the case.

Kaeda shuddered and sobbed in her grasp for a few minutes, but quickly recomposed herself when the signal was given to advance again. She dried her tears on the sleeves of her dress and did her best to steady her emotions. "I'm useless as a healer, I'm just a tag along. I should change into a eagle and leave this place. I've been so stupid to think I meant something," she cried in Kit's arms.

"What will you do now ?" asked Kit sadly, as the druid finished her vent.

"I will do as I set out to do. I will aid Sir Jose in his crusade to rid the area you call the Western Freeholds of the corrupting Githyanki influence," she said without hesitation. While her conviction seemed resolute, Kit noted a deep sadness in her voice.

"Will you confront Jose about this? "asked Kit. As soon as she posed the question, she immediately regretted having done so. Kit wanted to kick herself for tormenting the woman further and wished she could take it back.

"I'm not sure, "replied Kaeda numbly.

Kit was about to say something else stupid, when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. A powerful familiar smell of rotten eggs, sulfur, charcoal, darkness, corruption, and evil struck her. It was prevalent all around her and overwhelmed her senses.

"Demons!" Kit shouted, breaking all conventions of stealth. The soldiers were surprised by her outcry but knew well enough to ready their weapons. As on cue, a large band of assorted spawn from the abyss burst from the adjacent buildings and surged towards their detachment.

Kit then grabbed Kaeda's arm and yanked the weeping druid aside, even as a large black armored form descended from the sky and crashed into the spot she had previously occupied. An ebon skin warrior swung his large obsidian great sword in a wide arc at them, but luckily Kit's quick reaction brought them well out of his range.

"Sir Jose! You've been a thorn in my master's side for far too long. Today we end this, Today you die! " shouted the demon warrior Malleus for all to hear.


	41. Chapter 41

Kit pushed Kaeda away as she dodged the great obsidian blade once again. She was quick enough to parry the dark sword but she chose to avoid it with her speed instead. She was pretty sure that even her durable kukris would sunder under the heavy weapon's power. While obsidian was normally a brittle material, Kit was pretty sure the demon blade was enchanted to compensate for that particular weakness.

As Kit slipped away from the dark skinned warrior she saw a horde of demons upahead bearing down on her detachment. Fortunately, from her years of training to hunt such monstrosities, she noted that most of the creatures before her were considered 'lower' or 'lesser' denizens of the abyss. Besides the ebon skinned warrior trying to slice her apart, she caught sight of two dozen short potbellied humanoids with spindly arms and legs, roughly the same number of spiny dog rat creatures, and a few of the taller rubbery creatures with the long wicked polearms. Dretches, Abyssal spawn, and Rutterkin she categorized them methodically to herself.

Kit half thought her warning would just give the soldiers a heads up to flee the rushing demons, but luckily they took the scant seconds she gave them to organize a loose defensive line. She wished they took more soldiers with them from the barracks, but Trent left Rasmus behind with a sizeable garrison to harass the enemy. Whether it was Trent's ability to hand pick veteran soldiers or if it was Sir Jose's heroic presence rallying them, it didn't matter. If they would have ran against this fearsome horde it would have ensure their deaths.

Kit had settled into a weaving pattern when suddenly Malleus's dark blade stopped abruptly in its wide slashing arc, and lunged forwards into a quick jab. Kit barely managed to duck the sword and felt the power of his attack even though it narrowly missed her. She knew her foe would be deadly if she engaged him directly and needed a distraction or perhaps an opportunity to narrow the range and slip past his guard. If she had fought a mortal knight of some sort, she was sure she could wait till he would eventually tire and give her a window to seize on his mistake, however her enemy was a demon, specifically a Cambion, and most such monsters were known for their supernatural endurance. She also wondered if she could summon divine energy into her weapon like Sir Jose could, and even if she could would it be enough to stop this heavily armored abyssal warrior. She waited for his next strike and considered dodging, then rolling forwards towards him, but at the last moment she saw her opponent had not overextended his blow as she had hoped and gave her no opportunity to strike; so she had to scramble back instead.

As Kit contemplated her next attack, a yell of demonic curses and a mighty rallying cheer erupted ahead. Kit saw that a wall of thorns and brambles had sprung up from the street and had divided the enemy force in half. Not only did the demons caught within the wall were gripped tightly and shredded by the magical plant but it gave the soldiers an opportunity to counter attack in force. Lead by Sir Jose and Sergeant Trent, the soldiers rushed forwards and drove the remaining demons back into the unnatural vegetation. Kit knew immediately it was Kaeda's magic and was impressed not only by the power of her spell, but at the fact of where she placed the wall. She wasn't sure if it was done accidentally or if the combat inexperienced druid was actually picking up some tactics but the wall was placed in the most damaging position to the enemy.

Kit half thought she might be able to continue to dodge and wait out her duel with the Cambion , and eventually take him down when reinforcements arrived, when suddenly she felt and smelled a musky dark presence behind her. She knew right away it was some sort of teleporting creature but was still shocked as she was grabbed by lightning fast hairy arms that were covered in dry blood and mold. Kit felt her breath crushed from her chest, as she was both grappled and smothered by the foul smelling fur that had snagged her. She craned her neck back and caught sight of what looked like a grinning demon orangutan face that had her in its grasp. She had heard and even seen the fast teleporting Barlgura, demons that could magically appear behind their foes and then grab and abduct them in their powerful arms, but she had never been in one's grip before.

While her enemy was vastly stronger than her, she felt she could still slip from its grasp, but she wasn't sure if she could do so in time before the dark skinned warrior would catch up to her and run her through. Her skin could protect her from a bit, but even she doubted she could survive against these two foes, especially in her less than ideal position. Oddly she didn't feel fear despite her dire predicament, a strange sensation she attributed to her newly realized paladin abilities. As the Cambion Malleus approached she wondered if this was the same feeling Sir Jose experienced all the time.

"MEOW!"

Before Kit could be run through by the charging warrior, Pig Iron intercepted the demon with a wild swing with his bastard sword. Enchanted obsidian met golden metal and the two weapons seemed equally matched. The dwarf hacked savagely at the demon, but the Cambion simply parried and deflected the blows. The dark warrior seemed to smile in delight as he squared off with his new opponent, leaving Kit to the clutches of the Barlgura.

As Kit was being slowly crushed to death, she silently thanked the dwarf. It was the second time he had saved her. She noted grimly the first time had cost him his life, and she hoped he wouldn't have to pay the same price again. Kit took the respite he had given her and violently twisted and squirmed in the ape demon's arms. She considered changing into a smaller form but didn't want to lose her armor and blades in the transformation. Instead she focused her change into her teeth and savagely bit the demon with her fox jaws. The Barlgura roared at the sudden unexpected attack, and Kit felt its grip shift slightly. That was all the opportunity she needed though as she squirmed out of his grasp and found herself landing at the shaggy beast's clawed feet.

For a split second Kit didn't even bother to access her situation and relied solely on her highly honed instincts. She scrambled past his legs before they could stomp her and into the creature's rear flank. She pivoted with one foot while reversing her momentum, before launching herself onto the demon's great silvered hair back. From her dark training she knew a demon's weak spots even better than she knew a giant's. She wasn't sure how she did it, but she felt divine energy flow from her heart, then into her arms, and then into her blades. Even before she landed onto its silvery fur she stabbed it once where she guessed its spine was, and twice below its ribs with her now brightly shining kukris . The blows below its ribs were angled upwards to puncture its lungs, and she would have stabbed it a third time if her first blade had not managed to get itself lodged into the creature's boney spine.

The demon roared in pain, and toppled forwards slightly even as Kit landed on its back. Kit dug her boots into its fur and propelled herself upwards at her reeling foe. She gripped her remaining divinely charged dagger with both hands and gave a two handed strike into the back of the ape demon's skull, in the vulnerable area where the occipital bone meets the spine. Her holy blade plunged through the creature's thick hide and fur, and she drove it deep with all her might before extracting it with a cruel twisting motion. With her divine energy spent, she half expected the creature to continue thrashing wildly but luckily she guessed she severed a nerve cluster as the monster collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

Kit retrieved her now dull embedded blade and saw that the soldiers had smashed the main demon attack. Trent seemed particularly angry at the short demons with the spindly arms and legs and charged them mercilessly on his dog. Sir Jose on the other hand concentrated on the rubbery demons with the polearms. His skill with the shield easily deflected their blows as he closed into them and hacked them with his blades, atop Greenpaw. The rest of the soldiers were holding their own against the rat dog beasts, but fortunately a pack of seemingly 'real' wolves appeared and were tearing away at their abyssal counterparts. There was no immediate sign of Kaeda, but Kit guessed that it was her handy work again.

While the battle seemed to be going in their favor, the demons that had been cut off by the wall finally made their way around the barrier and were closing in on the soldier's flanks. Also a band of what appeared to be lightly armored bat winged women had appeared. They had flown over the wall and were laying down arrow fire into the guardsmen's ranks. Kit at first thought they were the famous succubus , but changed her mind when she noticed the drab studded leather they were wearing, a lust demon would never be caught dead in such unrevealing armor. Also, while Kit considered them pretty enough, they didn't possess the wildly lewd and erotic appearance of the legendary succubus, creatures that were often summoned by Mogombo to dance,tease, and torture victims for the Rakshasa lord's entertainment.

"Meow!" cried Pig Iron in pain. Kit pulled her attention away from the rest of the battle and saw that Pig Iron had not fared well against the Cambion Malleus. The dwarf was as fierce a brawler as she had ever known but he was covered in blood and cuts while his opponent seemed unharmed. Kit saw that the demon warrior wasn't simply all power and strength, but he used his speed and reach to methodically chip away at his much slower and shorter opponent. She didn't expect such a large armor warrior to fight with such skill and finesse, and it reminded her of….

"Sir Jose! Face me! " shouted Malleus as he connected another slash to the dwarf. Pig Iron took the blow squarely on the chest, but continue his aggressive charge despite his wound. Though the dwarf swung his golden blade in a wide arc, the Cambion easily parried the weapon with a seemingly minimal effort.

Kit saw that her master was preoccupied at the moment. He was battling two of the rubbery demons at once, while the flying she demons were constantly raining arrows onto him. Kit flinched reflexively at the sight, since it was considered extremely bad form to shoot missile fire into a melee. The constantly shifting stance of the combatants made hitting friend or foe a coin toss. The enemy didn't care though. The aerial demons were fairly accurate with their shots, forcing the knight to block with his shield and even catching him in the shoulder but even they struck their allies in the back with their arrows. More distressing was the fact a band of black hook headed skeletons had joined the fray. Kit knew them as a Babau and she wondered if Gregor was near summoning the seemingly growing horde of monsters.

The squire knew that Sir Jose wouldn't be able to come to Pig Iron's aid in time, and it was up to her to save the dwarf. She quickly skirted around the ebon warrior and snarled audibly to draw his attention.

Malleus was sandwiched between Kit and Pig Iron but did not seem faze by his predicament. "They send a dwarf that thinks he's a cat and a fox girl that thinks she's a knight to fight me? HAH!" he roared in laughter.

Pig Iron rushed the warrior again at the slight, and the warrior met him head on with his obsidian blade. A great clang ranged through the battlefield as their weapons tested themselves against each other. While their swords were locked, Kit sprang at his back, but the big warrior surprised her with a swift back hand to the side of her chest with his spiked armored fist. Not only did the attack pierce her skin, but the strength of the blow staggered her and she felt ribs break as he knocked the wind out of her. Kit tried to maintain her balance but stumbled and fell on her behind as she staggered backwards. Kit landed awkwardly on the ground, and felt a sharp pain as something twisted in her leg.

Malleus chuckled as he pushed the injured dwarf back with only one hand on his dark blade. He pointed at Kit and a cruel smile crept onto his face.

"You are my rival's squire aren't you? He will take me more seriously when I kill you and throw your sever head at him," he declared as he raised his blade to finish Kit off.

Kit braced for the worse. She was far away from the rest of the battle and knew her lord wouldn't be able to get to her in time. Also Pig Iron was still scrambling to his feet from the heavy push that Malleus gave him. While the dwarf talked and acted like a cat, he certainly did have a cat's ability to land on his feet.

Kit laughed at her last thought, and attributed it once again to her newly founded immunity to fear. Even faced with certain death by a powerful attention seeking demon, she wasn't afraid and was making quirky jokes to herself. She had only been a paladin for a short while, but she guessed dieing at the hands of this Cambion weapon master was as heroic and epic of a death as she could hope for. Perhaps after Malleus ran her through, it would give Sir Jose some great motivation to take vengeance on the demon. Perhaps he would spout off some heroic and touching soliloquy or something before he would avenge her death.

"SQUAWK"

Kit and Malleus both looked up as a lightning bolt of brown feathers, beak, and talons descended on them. A great golden eagle crashed into the demon warrior and sent him tumbling into the ground, as it raked and pecked at him mercilessly.

At first, Kit thought it was a shape changed Kaeda, but then recognized that the scent was different. This giant eagle before her was Kaeda's animal companion that she had kept circling high in the skies in reserve. Kit silently thanked the druid again, as she took advantage of her reprieve and painfully scampered back to her feet.

"Enough!" roared Malleus. Despite being knocked on his back and the eagle being much greater in size, the demon warrior smashed his fist upwards and connected squarely against his avian attacker's head. Kit cringed as the force of the blow cracked the eagle's beak. The great bird was forced to hop back defensively, buffeting its still prone opponent with its mighty wings. Malleus ignored the powerful blows as he managed to roll to the side and bring himself up on one knee. The eagle dove into him again in a frenzy , but this time the dark warrior slashed his blade upwards and caught the great bird squarely in the chest.

"No!" shrieked Kaeda in a sobbing voice somewhere in the distance.

The great eagle flopped helplessly as the demon twisted its blade into it. It tried to peck the warrior a final time but it's cracked beak bounced harmlessly off his armor. The bird's death wasn't in vain though. While it had met a brutal end, its great body mass still pressed heavily onto Malleus, effectively pinning him and trapping his dark blade.

"MEOW! Meow, MEOW! ", shouted Pig Iron as he crashed into the immobile warrior. The dwarf charged once again and slammed his broad shoulders into Malleus back. Kit winced at the dwarf's blow, against a normal knight or even an ogre or giant, it would have snapped its back, but against Malleus it simply dropped him to his knees again. Pig Iron then raised his golden sword and brought it down with all his might on top of the demon's head. Malleus barely managed to shift his weight to avoid a head strike, but the blade still embedded itself deeply into his shoulder.

"Meow! Purrr! Hisss! ", cackled the dwarf as dark ichor flowed from the demon warrior's wound.

Before the dwarf could continue his cat gloating or whatever he was doing, Malleus gripped the dwarf's beard with one hand and twisted the facial hair before yanking hard to the ground. Kit couldn't see clearly but the dwarf fell back, with a bloodied chin and half his beard missing.

Malleus ignored the blade still embedded in his shoulder and rose up smoothly from the ground. The demon warrior then kneed Pig Iron in the gut with his spiked armor even as the dwarf gasped and wheezed while still clutching his bloodied face. The last series of blows seemed to sap the strength right out of the already gravely injured dwarf. Pig Iron took a step backwards, but lost his balance and fell hard on his back.

"As a Cambion, I base my existence on seeking greater and greater foes to challenge me. You fought well Sir Dwarf, but I am after greater prey, "noted Malleus as he nodded respectfully to the dwarf. The ebon skinned warrior then casually drew the golden bastard sword still in his shoulders and raised it above his head.

"Meow?" said Malleus unexpectedly as he paused in shock. "Meow, meow, meow? ", babbled the demon warrior in confusion.

That was all the hesitation Kit needed. While her ribs were broken and something was sprained or broken in her legs, the squire summoned the strength to charge the ebon warrior once again. She felt her divine reserves drain, and couldn't summon any more energy into her blades, but she felt a satisfying thud as her kukri pierced the babbling demon's armor and sink deep into its back.

Malleus twisted his torso to look down on his attacker. He attempted to swing down at the squire, but she was too close within his weapon's range. He settled for a pommel strike though, but Kit noticed that the warrior had lost some of his speed and power and she barely managed to evade the attack. Even though she was hobbling herself, she managed to dart out of his reach and stood defensively over the fallen dwarf.

Malleus leaked ichor from several spots and threw his blade in frustration at Kit. Kit laughed at the clumsy attack, but her broken ribs flared in pain at her attempt at a taunt.

"Meow! Hiss, meow! " babbled Malleus as he backed up from the snarling and hacking squire.

"Help..help me up lass, " said a gruff , completely unfamiliar voice.

Kit looked down and saw Pig Iron reaching up weakly at her.

"You talk? And not in cat? " gasped Kit in shock as he helped the dwarf up.

Pig Iron nodded, and pointed at the golden sword that Malleus had thrown. "Aye lass, the sword of cats, a finer blade you won't find, but it does carry a curse. I was doomed to talk and in some ways behave like a cat while I was deemed it's owner. My syndicate bosses found it so maddening they crushed my vocal chords till the lady Kaeda cured them of course." The dwarf took a vial from his belt and drank it, seemingly growing stronger in the process. He then passed it to Kit who drank it as well. While her wounds weren't completely healed she did feel renewed strength flow through her. The dwarf then drew a hand axe from his belt and raised it menacingly at their common enemy.

"Meow!" screeched Malleus. Though the demon warrior had relied exclusively on his melee skills, he began to glow in a dark red aura. A ball of fire formed in his hands, and Kit braced for the fiery attack to come. Instead the warrior hurled the ball at the dead eagle and incinerated the feathery corpse in a flash of dark energies. He then made a grasping motion and the demon's obsidian blade flew end over end from the flaming bird before landing firmly in his hands.

"Meow!" boasted the demon.

Pig Iron threw his hand axe directly at Malleus's head. The dwarf's aim was true, but the weapon was easily deflected at the last moment by the obsidian blade. Pig Iron frowned. He looked at the demon and then the sword on the ground and shook his head sadly. "Thank you lass for giving me this opportunity to talk. By Moradin's beard, I haven't said a single coherent thing in ages, but I guess this can't be helped," said the dwarf before picking up the golden sword again.

"Meowwwwww," Pig Iron growled as he stalked towards the demon once again. Kit gave the dwarf a smirk before circling Malleus's flank.


	42. Chapter 42

Kit positioned herself directly behind the ebon warrior as Pig Iron stalked in front. Tension filled the air, as the trio readied themselves for the next exchange. The sounds of the battle further ahead seemed muted as she focused in on her dangerous demonic opponent. The multiple wounds on the creature did not seem to affect it as it practically radiated an aura of menace. The Cambion had already bested them once, and in her opinion it still held the upper hand.

"Come, "beckoned the demon Malleus, in a deep echoing voice," one at a time, or both at once. It doesn't matter."

As the remains of the giant eagle smouldered, Kit guessed this was all a game to Malleus. It had already boasted it was seeking to challenge itself. She saw the creature had access to powerful magics but had chosen to rely on its swordsmanship instead. Even with its grievous wounds it seemed to rely on its blade instead of incinerating them with its arcane fire. Kit burned at being treated so dismissively, and relished the opportunity to wipe its arrogant attitude off its face.

"Meow ! " shouted Pig Iron as he finally got into attack position. The dwarf took no time for witty banter as he charged with golden blade in hand. Without even thinking Kit darted forwards and followed his lead. She only had a split second as the demon's attention was distracted. Kit knew she was faster than her companion and hoped to get in a crippling strike before the dwarf slammed into him.

In a flash, Kit doubled over from a heavy blow to her stomach. She fell to the ground, folded over and tried to process what had happened. She recalled Malleus lunge forward and frustratingly out of her range, and strike Pig Iron's golden sword with his obsidian blade. Dwarves were known for their stability on their feet, but the force of the demon's strike drove him backwards. Instead of pressing his attack though, Kit painfully remembered the demon take a step unexpectedly backwards. She half expected to slam into Malleus's back, or the creature to swivel and face her, but instead the demon drove the spike pommel of his blade backwards. Kit was unprepared for the speed of the attack, as the surprise strike slammed into her stomach.

Kit tried to scramble back and remain on her feet, but she stumbled and fell to the ground instead. She gripped her stomach in pain and she felt a warm wetness in her hand. Kit watched helplessly as the demon warrior turned his attention to the dwarf, and begin battering Pig Iron relentlessly with a flurry of blows. While the dwarf had regained some of his vitality he was no match for the skill, strength, speed, and reach of Malleus. Pig Iron was a formidable warrior, but he was simply an obstacle compared to the demonic champion. The Golden blade of Cats was an impressive weapon, but it paled before the Dark Obsidian blade it faced. As the dwarf fell from the onslaught from the demon, Kit expected the arrogant creature to gloat , but instead it spun and lashed out with his foot. Time seem to slow as Kit saw the armored boot speed towards her head. She tried to duck, but her prone position and her wounded stomach slowed her reactions. The demon's found its target, and Kit's world exploded into pain.

* * *

Sir Jose batted away the Rutterkin's pole arm with his shield as he urged his mount forwards. The contorted rubbery demon was quick, but not fast enough as Greenpaw managed to close the range and latch its jaws onto its foot. The mighty Celestial dog then upended the creature and shook it vigorously, slamming it repeatedly into the ground and the bramble wall.

As Greenpaw dispatched the demon, Sir Jose felt a rush of air from behind and above him. The knight twisted his torso and saw one of the female demons dive at him. An Alu demon, one of the many varieties of progeny created by the more famous and fecund succubus. The creature had expended its arrows a while ago, and was flying down towards him with a raised spiked club. Jose noted the monster's normally comely face had contorted into a distended parody of itself and screamed abyssal obscenities during its attack. The knight's shield was out of position but he swung his blade in a clumsy wide defensive arc. The Alu demon easily dodged the crude strike, but the knight's feint had given him a split second to bring his shield to bear. Sir Jose smashed his bulwark into the creature's twisted face and sent the she demon tumbling into the cobbled streets.

The knight wheeled Greenpaw around and was confronted by an unusual sight. The attacking demoness was on her knees weeping pitifully before him. Her demonic face had changed once again to a visage of beauty, and from the way she was crying he thought she looked like a stereotype from some bard's tale; a battered prostitute with a heart of gold or an orphaned waif fleeing from an abusive home. Sir Jose hesitated slightly at this sight but he wasn't fooled by this simple ruse. He witnessed firsthand a succubus that was able to charm his exalted Lord Rollo, and he swore he would never falter from such a seductive trap. The knight raised his blade, ready to vanquish the creature but he was beaten to the punch when an arrow struck the pretty demoness down.

Jose scanned the battlefield and saw Maid and Grinder had returned from their scouting. The innkeeper and the grizzled mercenary were atop a building and raining arrows and crossbow bolts down on the demons. Maid tipped her head towards Jose, and he knew she was the one that had saved him the trouble of dispatching the wounded Alu fiend. Trent was in the center of their ranks rallying the remaining soldiers. The Halfling and some of the more seasoned guards were fending off several new Babau demons, covering the rest of the guards which were mercilessly dispatching the demons still trapped inside Kaeda's brambles. The knight couldn't see the lovely druid, but he knew she was hidden nearby. Battle was not her element, but Jose knew the courage that was hidden in her brave heart.

Jose thought the battle was swinging in their favor, but a chorus of howls made him change his opinion. Two creatures that looked like a cross between a dire porcupine and some twisted emaciated hound, began muscling their way through the brambles. He couldn't see them clearly, but from the sounds and their spines the knight knew they were abyssal creatures called, appropriately enough, Howlers. They weren't true demons, but such a distinction was of little use when a person was being pierced by their poisoned spines or torn apart by their great canine jaws. Despite their fearsome visage, the thorny bushes easily pierced their hide as the madden creatures forced their way towards Trent and the guards. Even though they were in a vulnerable position struggling in the brambles, most of the guardsmen were kept at bay due to the creature's long spines. It looked like the beasts would trap the Halfling and his soldiers between them and the skeletal Babau demons but a few guards picked up the polearms of the slain Rutterkin and were opportunistically jabbing the Howlers from a safe distance. One guard's polearm stabbed the beast in the face, but the howler simply responded by biting and snagging the weapon with its jaws. Another guard took a more cautious approach and maneuvered himself to a slightly tangent angle and repeatedly poked the squirming beast in its vulnerable neck and flank.

All the demons were effectively tied up or pinned but Jose suspected that it wasn't over yet. The Howlers were the last wave of foes they faced, but he knew they were not the last. This smelled of Mayor Gregor's handiwork, and the knight guessed he was hiding safely in a building or perhaps brazen standing before them while cloaked under an invisible spell. Jose's evil detection sight could normally find him, but with so many other evil entities in the area it would be difficult to sort the summoner out from the demons. Greenpaw might be able to sniff him out eventually, but the knight knew there was one amongst them that could find and execute the diabolic mayor.

* * *

"Jose! Face me! " shouted Malleus once again. The force of the demon warrior's challenge shook the earth and Kit's ears instinctively drooped down to shield her eardrums.

Kit was wounded badly. Her stomach was still bleeding, and she thought the Cambion's last blow must have shattered the side of her face. Even with her enchanted skin, the demon broke through her defenses easily. It didn't surprise Kit though, while most minor demons bounced off harmlessly from her immunity, the smarter more powerful ones often employed silver in their attacks. Besides being able to pierce lycanthropes like herself, and certain undead; silver was the bane of most Baatezu or devils, the arch enemy of the demonic hordes of the abyss, and most demons had some silver in case they battled their ancient foe.

Kit struggled to crawl to Pig Iron, despite her wounds. She had expended her newly discovered healing touch and more importantly her potions at the barracks, but hoped the dwarf had some in reserve. It was a vain hope, but Kit wasn't about to quit yet. She had just become a paladin and wasn't about to be slain in her first major skirmish with demons. It pained her to admit it, but she was outclassed by the ebon warrior standing above her. She had already used her ability to smite evil against the gorilla creature earlier and wished she would have saved it for this foe instead.

"Aaahhhhh," Kit grunted as a heavy boot was brought down on her back. Kit winced back the tears of pain as her spine was being grounded by the Cambion's foot. She clawed helpless at the cobblestones trying futilely to pull herself away, but she was at the monster's mercy now.

"Call for your master, bring him to me and I'll give you a painless death," ordered Malleus as he towered over her.

As her life was being crushed from her body, Kit always hoped she would make some dashing comment when being confronted by an archvillian such as she was. Perhaps a gob of saliva into the demon's eye while she boasted about spitting into the face of death, or a more macho 'is that all you've got' swagger; instead all Kit could muster was a pathetic bleating noise as she struggled to disobey the demon's command.

"Let her go!" barked a gruff voice accompanied by a menacing growl. Kit's spirited lifted as she knew Sir Jose and Greenpaw had come to her rescue. She wasn't sure if even her lord could defeat such a monster, but knew they stood a chance if they all attacked at once. If Pig Iron had any healing potions left, the dwarf and herself could aid her master and his mount, and all four of them could over power the demon. It was their best shot for victory she thought.

"Not so fast knight, I want your paladin's oath that you and I will finish this here. You and me, no interruptions no allies. Just a contest between all your skills and abilities versus all of mine, "bartered the demon as it waved its obsidian blade dangerously close to Kit's head.

Kit wanted to shout out a warning to her lord, to tell him not to accept the creature's challenge. He was much too dangerous to face alone. She would rather it killed her and then face Greenpaw and her lord then letting her live and watching her lord face this demon alone. Before she could give voice to her concerns though, the paladin promptly replied "Yes, but I must have words with my squire."

Kit wasn't sure what happened next, but she felt the weight crushing her lifted and saw from her peripheral vision the demon slowly backing away. She was pretty sure her lord had expended his healing as well, but was revitalized when a soft nose nuzzled foot. Kit felt her more serious injuries cured, and was surprised that it was Greenpaw that healed her. While her forte was more in demonic creatures, she did recall that celestial animals were able to heal some wounds once a day. The horse sized green husky barked happily when it saw she was alright.

"Kit, take Pig Iron to safety," commanded Sir Jose as his attention focused on the demon. "Mayor Gregor or some other finger wiggler is nearby summoning this horde. Find him and kill him, "he ordered as he began tearing a strip off his cloak. Kit glanced at her lord and saw his eyes almost shine with bloodlust and fury.

"You can't beat this guy yourself, he's too tough," protested Kit. Despite her warning, she knew it was futile. She had seen this look on him before, it was the look he bore when he took on his most dangerous foes. She rolled her eyes as she knew the melodramatic act that was to come next.

First he was going to babble about his background.

"He's a dangerous opponent, but so am I. I grew up in North Darokin, and there we fight for family, honor, and history," he recited.

Second he was going to tie that torn strip of cloth around his face like a mask.

As on cue, Sir Jose took off his helmet and flung it to the side. He then wrapped the strip of his torn cloak around the top part of his head in a simple practiced motion, forming a simple but still daunting mask. Kit was surprised that he got the holes in the torn cloth lined up with his eyes in the first try.

"Demon, I don't know who you are but you've hounded me for the last few weeks. This ends today. Since you challenged me for this duel I will set my only condition as _Máscara o cabellera contra campeonato _. My mask versus your title. My honor is represented in this mask, and you will be victorious if you can remove it from my body. If I win however, I claim your honor and title, and demand you never to return to this world again, "demanded the knight.

Kit nodded in approval as Greenpaw and herself dragged Pig Iron away. It was a clever demand, since greater demons like Malleus were not stopped simply by killing their material forms. Unlike minor demons, creatures like the ebon warrior could reform back on their home planes through force of will and could plague the world once again when they regained their strength. In the unlikely even that he defeated him, Jose's condition would be a permanent way to bar the demon from entering this world forever.

"An unusual request but agreed. I will take great pleasure hanging your masked head from my belt as a trophy," laughed Malleus.

Kit checked on Pig Iron and saw the dwarf still lived, but barely. She found no more potions on him, and neither Greenpaw or helself had any magical aid available, so she simply placed him out of sight behind a shattered brick wall. Greenpaw then motioned her to get on his back, and the squire reluctantly did so. She wanted to help her lord in this battle, but knew it was useless to interfere with an honorable duel; especially when Sir Jose was in involved. She could well imagine his whining and complaining if she helped him out, and just hoped she could find Gregor before Malleus killed him. There was a possibility that killing Gregor would release Malleus from this dimension and she thought it was as good as anything else she tried in her failed attempts at killing the ebon warrior. She sniffed the air, and caught an unusual smell right away ; a perfumed scent of wealth and privilege, with an odd odor of disease about it. Kit was about to urge Greenpaw forward but she waited to hear the third thing her lord was about to shout.

"DAROS LUCHA!" Sir Jose shouted as he rushed towards the Cambion.


	43. Chapter 43

The perfumed scent of Gregor was definitely distinct but Kit noted it wasn't nearby. It wafted through the battlefield, and seemed to mingle with the smells with both those that were fighting and those that were dead and dying.

Kit morphed her nose. Normally she freely grew her ears to improve her already considerable hearing, or widened her eyes to heighten her sight, but rarely did she enlarge her snout to its bestial state. Kit wasn't sure why she didn't do it more often, since her ability to detect and isolate scents was much greater than any of her other senses. She guess it might have been her growing vanity, at least when she shifted her ears most people considered that a bit cute, and when she shape changed her eyes some people commented that they appeared more mysterious and seductive. Her fox nose however had none of those qualities. Normally she considered it too short and squat, and when shifted she thought her snout was too ungainly and protruding. It was maddening to her that she wasn't able to adjust it to a more attractive form.

Regardless of her discomfort from morphing her nose, Kit grudgingly admitted it did a superb job of filtering the nearby senses. While her normal olfactory abilities were far beyond that of a normal human , her fox nose was something else altogether. Besides her allies, currently she detected the cheap perfumed scent of one skulking Alu demon nearby. She also noted the flatulent smells of a dozen Dretches still trapped in the brambles, with another seven engaged in battle with the guards. Most pungent was the oil and smell of Malleus which practically still coated her. Throw in the acidic smell of three Babau , the rat dropping odor of four more Abyssal Spawn, the rubbery stench of a lone Rutterkin , and of course the slightly poisonous taint of the remaining Howler, she thought she had all the bad guys here pegged. Kit detected all her foes in the area and began systematically filtering them out so she could track her primary prey's location.

"Greenpaw, there," whispered Kit to the Celestial husky as she pointed to a building further down the street. Gregor's scent wasn't easy to locate, but she eventually determined it was from a nearby villa next to the battlefield.

"Woof!" barked the dog as it bounded down the street.

The great war hound charged the main pack of demons, and Kit half thought it was going to tear them apart instead of getting her to her prey. A Dretch saw the charge, and froze in place as Greenpaw bore down on the squat demon. The big dog pounced on the poor creature , flattening it in the process, before using it as a launching point to leap through the air. It magically sprouted great feathery wings and glided over the rest of the battlefield, before landing atop the building that Kit indicated.

Kit still wasn't to the dog's new wings but accepted them for what they were. She quickly dismounted with her blades at the ready, as Greenpaw dove off the building and back into battle. The squire waved at the dog, wings and all, and wished it good luck as she proceeded to hunt her own prey.

Kit noted that the ex mayor's odor wasn't that strong, mainly because it was strangely masked by the stench of illness and rot. The squire wondered if the mayor knew about her sensitive nose and was taking precautions to foil her tracking. While her close friends and allies knew about her nose, she was fairly certain not many beyond her inner circle were aware of it's potency. Perhaps Gregor used magic to divine ways to defeat her, and if this was so, what other secrets did he know?

Armed with that sobering thought, Kit decided to proceed with greater caution into the villa. She slowed her advance and proceeded by the book, checking her path for traps and ambushes. It didn't take her long for her restraint to be rewarded, as she discovered a glyph of some sort along the hallway set as a trap. It was easily bypassed by the agile squire and soon she found the summoning room of Gregor.

Under Mogombo and even while serving under Sir Jose, Kit had entered many an evil mage's lair. Mage's as a rule were generally quite pompous and like to show off, however Gregor's make shift lair wasn't much to look at. Kit expected some laboratory or something, complete with incense, but instead found the former mayor in a large living room, with a window overlooking the battle. The room was in disarray with most of the furniture scattered and damaged, it appeared already ransacked by either goblins, looters, or refugees; or more likely some combination of the three. Seated in one of the few undamaged chairs, was her target slumped and feeble looking. While the mayor never appeared particularly fit, there was always a roundness about him that suggest a healthy appetite. Kit was surprised to see him, thin and withdrawn, a man that appeared to be on the verge of death.

Gregor coughed, though Kit did not suspect he was aware of her presence. It was more of a sick frail hack, than one that meant he demanded your attention. Kit could see him feebly weaving arcane symbols into the air, and that snapped her attention back to the battle at hand. The squire swiftly threw her kukri and it impaled the back of Gregor's hand, spoiling his incantations.

"Stop this! ", demanded Kit. "NOW!"

Gregor turned to face her, and Kit saw the reason for his frail health. The mayor was still dressed in all the finery of his former office, from his golden chain office to his fine robes, but the squire saw that his side was bandaged heavily. Her nose all so told her that whatever wound that was underneath it had healed poorly and was probably infected and rotting. She breathed a sigh of relief and realized that this was the source of the mayor's ability to mask his scent, and not some clever scheme to foil her sensory abilities.

Gregor looked at Kit with a sweat covered brow and bowed his head. The effort however seemed to pain the man as he clutched his side in pain. "This ..this is your master's fault you know. The wound will not heal, not even from magic. Spells from goblin shamans and Githyanki priests can't cure it. Not even my expensive ointments and potions can stop it from festering, " gasped the former mayor.

Kit shuddered. Even though she was immune to fear she felt a chill when she realized the source of his wound. She knew exactly what ailed him and why he wasn't able to recover. She recognized the wound as the same that was inflicted on Kaeda when they first encountered her. It was known as a cursed wound, and even the druid's formidable powers were unable to heal it. The Silverblade that Sir Jose took as a trophy from the Githyanki lord Kazoz was able to inflict such grievous wounds that resisted curative magics. It's victims unable to heal during combat, or succumbing to a slow wasting death if they somehow escaped. Only a powerful cleric, or in Sir Jose's case, someone that was trained to remove cursed wounds could overcome it. Luckily for Kaeda, her lord was taught such skills by the Baroness Stille, one of the finest healers that Kit had ever encountered. Gregor however, was not fortunate to have access to someone of that ability.

"It's rude…to …stare. Even if it's my wound, " gasped the dying mayor as she saw Kit looking at him in pity. "While Githyanki are masters of destructive and mental magics, their skill with simple curative spells have….much to be desired. Or perhaps I'm not important enough for Lord Zazoz to waste such magics on," he cackled weakly, ignoring his bleeding hand.

"Surrender, dispel your demons, and face the justice of the land," ordered Kit. "If you comply, Sir Jose will attempt to heal you," she offered.

Gregor considered her demand then slowly smiled, " Some of the demons I summoned, while others I used more powerful calling spells. They do not follow my whims, but obey more of a contract that I've drawn up with them."

Kit understood. Summoning spells were the most common method of conjuring spirits to battle for you, but more complex and expensive calling spells could yield more powerful creatures and for a longer time as well. They required payment though, that was often subsidized if one knew their 'true' names or if the magician and the summonee shared similar philosophical views. Kit recalled that her former lord Mogombo often payed with golds or gems. She shuddered as she also remembered the human sacrifices he offered as well.

"Dispel what you can, that should be enough to tip the battle to my allies favor," demanded Kit.

Gregor slowly nodded but then the room exploded in a whirlwind of movement. The smashed furniture and other debris that was scattered across the room, suddenly jumped upwards and hurtled themselves at Kit. "How dare you look down on me! " screeched Gregor as the room converged on her. "I shall offer all your heads to Zazoz, and he'll be forced to heal me to retain my usefulness!"

In a split second the room seem to implode on Kit, but she was ready though. The squire remembered how she was laid low by the Mayor a few scant weeks ago. She painfully recalled Gregor used a similar tactic and smashed her in the head with a silver serving tray at the time, and she was determined not to make the same miskake twice. She flipped backwards at the volley, twisting and turning in the air to avoid the avalanche of trash directed at her. Despite avoiding the attack, Kit blinked in surprise as she lost all sight of the Mayor. She noted she could still smell him though, but the stink of his wounds, and the scattering of debris made it hard to track him. She knew he had used some sort of advanced or improved invisibility spell , but unfortunately she still couldn't find him. His scent was everywhere in the room now , and it would take her awhile to pinpoint his location.

Kit attempted to located him with her hearing, but suddenly the wave of rubble she avoided a few seconds ago lifted off the ground and flew at her once again. Kit scrambled out of its path, but the mayor's aim was getting better as a chair smashed itself against her back. The squire stumbled forward and hit her head against the wall, her pride wounded more than her body, but she realized that she won't be able to locate him with her ears while furniture was being nosily picked up and tossed constantly at her.

As the furniture levitated once more to attack Kit, a sudden inspiration came to her. She was a paladin now, and that meant she had certain rudimentary powers. The squire had never done this before, but she simply let her vision drift. To her surprised she saw a malignant aura to the left of her pressed up against the wall. It was far from an accurate method to pinpoint an invisible target, but combined with her nose and hearing she thought she had a good idea where he was. Kit was too far to engage in melee with her foe, and decided to harry him instead. She immediately threw her other blade at the center of her target, hoping to wound him and leave a trail of blood or some other visual cue for her to follow. The blade struck home, and to her shock Gregor appeared and slumped to the ground.

Kit didn't think her attack would be so potent, but saw that Gregor was much weaker than she had thought. The mayor writhed in pain before her, pitifully sobbing for mercy. Kit saw the wound at his side had opened up. It was a black wound, surrounded by puss and festering flesh that was slowly spreading again. Whatever enchantments that the Githyanki used to slow the cursed injury seem to have open up again during this brief battle.

"The pain, the pain, " gasped Gregor. " Help me…"

"Dispel your minions, and I'll grant you a quick death, " was the only solace that Kit could offer.

Gregor fell silent but waved his hand in a sequence of arcane gestures. Kit saw from the window, she noted somehow it survived the previous waves of flying furniture, that most of the demons attacking her friends had vanished in a puff of black smoke. Satisfied that the mayor had fulfilled his end of the bargain, Kit drew another Kukri to fulfill her end of the grim task.

Gregor grimaced in pain but seem relieved to see Kit's blade despite her dire intent. "I didn't mean for this. All this death. I ..I just wanted to get rich. Things got…got out of hand," he apologized. Kit stared into his eyes, and saw that he was lying or at least stretching the truth. She slashed her blade cleanly across his throat and in a few seconds the mayor choked to death on his own blood.

* * *

Sir Jose fell back as he exchanged blows with the ebon warrior. His ability to channel divine energy both as a weapon and as a source of healing had long been exhausted, and that put him at a serious disadvantage. It didn't take long for him to realize the power of the demon's obsidian blade and he knew he could not face it head long. The demon's last swing was barely blocked by his shield but it still manage to stagger him. The knight kept his footing and his balance, but knew he was no match for the demon's strength or his superior blade. Sir Jose knew he had to bide his time and hope for an opening to emerge.

The demon scowled at the retreating knight after the last exchange, but did not press his attack. "Come now! Put away that toy sword, and draw your silver blade. I've seen you use it. I will not be able to put my martial skills to a true test if you do not use your true power."

Jose chuckled," Look , I don't care if you've been spying on me, but this blade isn't meant for you. We both know how much those Githyanki bastards want it, " the knight paused , careful not to reveal too much information about his plans." I will not use that particular weapon just right yet."

The demon considered his statement and flashed a smile full of sharpened tooth. "I see. Very clever. You seek to set a trap," it commented. "You rather put yourself at a disadvantage in this 'battle' to give yourself a chance to win the 'war'. I approve of such cunning."

Jose practically face palmed himself as he realized the demon had guessed his intentions. He readied himself for another exchange and made a note to simply grunt next time the enemy asked him a question.

The demon then surprised Jose. Instead of advancing again, the creature drove his blade deep into the ground. "It seems if I wish to gain any satisfaction from a victory over you , I will be require to handicap myself," the demon lamented as it then faced the knight.

Jose was shocked at the turn of events, and expected some sort of trick. He gazed into the dark orbs that pasted as the creature's eyes and saw no deception in them. He saw blind anger, unending hate, and a lust for his blood, but he saw this was no trick. Jose tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement and threw away his own sword and shield. "I don't know how you are, but that was rather sporting of you, "acknowledged the knight.

The demon smiled then spread its armored feet till they were equal to his shoulder in width. Its front boot facing forward , while its rear boot turned at a perpendicular angle. Jose noted that the creature balanced most of its weight on its rear foot, and noted it was in a stance similar to what Kit used when she practiced her hand to hand brawling. "Shall I refresh your memory? I am, Malleus of Zeletar,and I shall enjoy tearing you apart with my bare hands, " it sneered.

Jose paused as prepared to grapple the demon. A puzzled look came to the knight's face. "Zeletar? That's a demon city isn't it? One of the one's on Grazzt's worlds right? Err no wait, it spans several dimensions right? "

Malleus appeared both shocked and annoyed, "You can recall that Zeletar is a city that stretches across three planes, but do not recall who I am?"

"Well, now that you've mentioned it. Wait, do I owe you money or something? Is this what your vendetta against me is about? I'm kind of short right now, but I'll eventually pay. I'm a knight, I'm good for it. Wait, you do look familiar but I can't seem to place ya," admitted Sir Jose as he took a more casual tone with the demon. "Sorry Amigo, I can't remember."

"We first met several years ago in that mud hole called Veb, do you recall now?"

"Errr…nope."

"We fought an epic battle, that shook the barony when we clashed."

"Umm…sorry."

"Though our battle was inconclusive, you had the upper hand when the spell that summoned me ran out."

"Ahh...still can't remember."

"You were with a giant, a boy, and an effeminate fop."

"Hmm…are you talking about Raoul, Jimmy and Martinez? That doesn't help since I've fought many demons at their side."

"I was summoned by a necromancer named Pierre, or at the time he took the alias Loric. A much more powerful practioner of magic than the fool that currently orders me around," sighed Malleus in frustration.

Jose paused and looked puzzled. "Wait…did you say Pierre? I remember Pierre, or tricky Pete as I liked to call him. The holy men of Koryis, and my order the Knights of the Husky, chased that bastard for months. The villain almost evaded capture when he summoned a succubus to defeat my Lord Rollo, " the knight then paused in shock as he looked over Malleus once again. "Wait….don't tell me you're the succubus? No wonder I don't recognize you, this all makes sense now. Ummm, I know they can change form, but I always thought they took the form of …sexy girls or something. Wait, you're not an Incubus are you? That would explain things, but well you know, that make things kind of awkward. Win or lose, I don't want to be known as the knight that engaged an Incubus in a grappling match. My reputation is bad enough as it is, and the northern knights are still a lot more homophobic than the southern nations. Like I have nothing against guy on guy, but not when I'm one of the guys."

Malleus snorted smoke from his nostrils in frustration. " This is all an attempt to trick me isn't it? You wish to babble incessantly till the spell that binds me wears off, correct? I applaud your cunning, but it will not work! This time I am bound to this world by a contract, which I negotiated to my own benefit. That weak willed Gregor was too injured to properly impose his will on me, which gives me free reign to seek my vengeance against you!" declared the ebon warrior angrily.

Jose scratched his head and then faced his ranting foe, " So does this mean you aren't an Incubus? That means you are a succubus then right? If so, I wish to warn you. Just because you are a woman, that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

"RARRRRRWWWRRR!" roared Malleus as he ran towards the knight.


	44. Chapter 44

Sir Jose rushed Malleus, but his foe met him head on. The knight and the demon crashed in a tangle of armor and muscle, both straining to overpower the other. For a second it looked like Jose could overpower his abyssal opponent, but in the last moment the demon tossed the knight aside.

Instead of falling to his face though, Jose managed to keep his balance and readied himself for the next exchange.

"Excellent," complimented Malleus in a snake like hiss. "Your strength is just as I recall, and your swordsmanship has improved since last we met, however I did notice your skill in the hand to hand arts has diminished slightly. Not surprising since you are not eternal like myself. Time and old age are the bane of all mortals, from a human hero to even the mightiest of dragons."

Sir Jose ignored the chattering Cambion and crouched with legs squarely apart and his hands outstretched in an easy practiced stance. He eyed his opponent warily as he scanned for an opening or some weakness in his defense. While he considered himself quite accomplished in the hand to hand arts, he admitted the demon was correct, he was a bit rusty as of late.

This Malleus creature was one of the most formidable foes he had ever faced, Magda included. As he prepared for another exchange, his life flashed before his eyes.

* * *

As a youth he trained in free style Darokin fighting, partly to fight soldiers and militia for money, but mainly because he could not afford weapons or armor. The rustic combat style of his people was fairly simple and almost comical to outsiders, but it was a complex system of grappling and strikes rooted in family, honor and history. Despite its lofty pretensions, it was still a hard life. Fighting for cash in the rings and fighting pits of both North and South Darokin wore him down, and he saw himself battered and injured on many occasions. Without access to proper healers, the pain of unarmed competition and dueling eventually took its toll on the young Jose, and he reluctantly enlisted into the Darokin's legions. He would have stayed in the legion battling orcs and monsters from the wilds of Alfheim or the mountains of Glantri, save for a chance meeting with Earl Rognvold of Custeinson or Sir Rollo as he was more commonly known .

He wasn't sure what the old knight saw in him, but he was quickly recruited as his squire and entered the service of the Order of the Husky. Sir Rollo drilled into him advanced sword techniques, the ability to maneuver in heavy armor, and of course taught him how to ride, read, pray and even his courtly manners. The young squire took to his training readily and strived to obey his lord's teachings. He even honored his lord by taking on the name of Custeinson, though Jose almost never used that particular name. He mainly learned the martial skills of the sword, shield and lance, defeating his greatest foes with the weapons and not the reputation of his lord; becoming as formidable a knight as any that was born in the Northern Realms.

Despite his reliance on weapons, Sir Jose did not forget his true roots. Darokin free style fighting was a part of him, a central thread to his fabric. Regardless if he rarely engaged in opponents in fisticuffs, there were few opponents that could match him in skill and strength.

* * *

"I see you have learned control and restrained your lust for battle. A pity. Even the earlier exchanges that appeared wild and primal, were carefully calculated attacks, "commented Malleus. Despite his praise, the demon stalked the knight in a wide arc with his arms lowered and at his side.

Jose's instincts were to rush the demon for his carelessness, but he suspected it was a trap or at least some type of diversion. He would have to abandon the wild brawling style of his youth and focus on more technical aspects of his pugilistic arts.

Malleus shook his head at the knight's hesitation, "I do not mind a little posturing, but this is not how I imagined our final battle ."

Jose paused and scratched his head. "Final battle, I can't even recall our first battle."

Malleus dark face grew even darker. It appeared he was going to charge again, but instead the demon smiled and laughed lightly. " Very good. You almost provoked me, but you can't fool me. I've used my magic to track you from afar, and I find it doubtful that you cannot remember the battle that built your career and distinguished you as a knight."

Jose thought deeply. Was the demon trying to confuse him? He remembered being knighted after the incident in the Barony of Veb. He fought many demons at that time, defending the keep and Lady Stille from the crazed Necromancer and his pet succubus. Besides the baroness's beauty, he couldn't remember much from that engagement. After a brief pause the knight threw his hands up in the air. "Nope. My memory is kind of hazy," he admitted. "It's probably because of all the hits to the head I've taken or more likely the agave worm juice I use to guzzle. I'm trying to quit, but it's a helluva drink. "

Malleus's composure evaporated as he scowled. "Enough! Your naivety and backwards prime worlder charm is wearing thin. Prepare yourself. It is time to end this," roared the demon as he charged the knight once more.

Jose appeared still confused, but the knight had readied himself for such an attack. While some of the power and speed of his youth was lost to him, he was still effective in counter attacking. He snapped back to attention as the demon rushed him, and timed his defense carefully. As Malleus approached, the knight dropped his center of gravity and sprawled atop the demon. While Malleus was still vastly stronger, Jose managed to hook one of his arms and managed to flop atop of him. From his upper position the knight began raining relentless armored fists into the demon's side. The heavy impact of his steel gauntlets, pounded and crumpled even the demon's armored flanks.

For a second it appeared Jose had the demon beat, but Malleus rotated his body into a sitting position before pushing his shoulders back against the knight. The demon finished the maneuver by driving a spiked elbow into Jose's throat, which he surprisingly took before scrambling back and onto his feet.

"Child's play," commented the demon as he stood up from the last exchange. "After our first battle, I began taking this dimension's hand to hand arts more seriously. From the Order of the Crab I learned the way of the hand and foot, and I even studied a bit of Thyatian coliseum Pankration. I am not a master of unarmed combat yet, but I consider versed in them enough to counter your paltry tricks."

Jose struggled to breath from the throat injury. He wanted to give a witty reply to the demon, but could only gasp for air. What was this Malleus guy saying? That he had wrestled this demon previously in his youth, and somehow won? It seemed rather absurd, but the knight attempted to gleam from his memory , the exact details of how he won. Did he use strikes? Doubtful since Malleus had both the strength and reach advantage. Perhaps he got in close and submitted him with a hold? A difficult task considering both the demon's spiked armor and its agility, but still plausible. Also, considering how easily the demon escaped his sprawling hold just recently, the knight doubt he could sneak a lucky lock in.

Malleus saw the knight pause again and motioned behind him with his chiseled chin. "It appears that fool Gregor has gotten himself killed. I should be out there collecting his soul, but I rather conclude our business first. While I trust your honor to battle me equally, I have doubts about your allies. It's to your advantage to drag this affair out, but I will appeal to your sense of pride. "

Jose saw the demon was correct. Most of the minor demons had indeed vanished, the death of Mayor Gregor the most likely reason. Trent was rallying his troops to throw at the remaining demons, but Jose tempered his excitement as he noted that the creatures that remained were the more deadly ones.

Malleus then stopped and bowed at a section of rubbled building. "I apologize, I thought most of you mortals are without honor, but I appear to be wrong. There is at least one here that recognizes a duel when she sees one."

Jose glanced to where the demon was talking to, and at first saw nothing. He would have chalked it up to a demon trick if he didn't suddenly catch a glimpse of a patch of flower covered fabric and a hint of light brown almost blonde hair. The knight's heart skipped a little when he realized it was Kaeda, but he calmed slightly when he realized that she was safe from the demon as long as he was honoring their duel. Ignoring his injured throat, he simply acted unaffected and shrugged , before resuming his stance again.

Malleus blinked one of his cruel eyes and smiled. "Do not act so aloof. She's your woman, I can smell your scent on her, " the demon said in an odd chuckling hiss.

Sir Jose rolled his eyes. He tried to be discrete, but his entire party knew about their relationship or at least suspected it. It was bad enough they knew of his relationship with Kaeda, but now it was almost insufferable that the demon knew as well.

It was now Jose's turn to grow frustrated. He attempted to insult the demon but he came up short on both voice and wit. Finally he simply rushed the demon. Malleus attempted a defense maneuver similar to the one that Jose executed, but instead of dropping on the knight, Jose used his strength to lift his opponent off his feet and into the air. The demon was stronger and heavier, but Jose was well practiced at shifting momentum and slammed Malleus painfully into the ground with his hip toss . The demon was temporarily on his back, with Jose atop, and tried to lash out at him with short controlled strikes. The demon's blows were still heavy but lacked most of their power due to his position. Jose on the other hand had no problem raining his armored fists relentlessly down upon him again, but the taller demon simply curled one of his legs upwards, hooking the knight's chest and tossing him easily away.

Jose was surprised that Malleus had such a grasp of ground techniques and barely rolled out of the way as the demon scrambled after him. He thought he could evade Malleus, but the demon grabbed his ankle and crushed it with its supernatural strength. Jose felt bones cracking, but ignored the pain as he slammed his other foot into Malleus face. The blow wasn't as strong as he would like, but it did the trick and allowed him to scamper away. It looked like the knight was about to escape, when suddenly he felt a slash across his back, followed by a burning acid smell. Jose clutched the wound in pain as he saw his attacker as he attempted to stumble to safety. It was a Babau, a particularly vicious variety of demon that appeared to be acid covered hooked headed skeletons.

"Malleus! Gregor has been slain! We need to regroup!" warned the new attacker . Malleus appeared livid and Jose could see the demon ball its fist. Before it got a chance to strike though, a massive bear appeared from the rubbled section of wall he spied earlier. The huge creature grabbed the Babau in its jaws and shook it vigorously as it raked its claws viciously against its skeletal body. Jose half expected the Kaeda/bear's flesh to melt or burn as it met the demon's acid covered flesh, but the shapechanged druid appeared protected or was immune to such an attack. After a few seconds the great bear tossed the lifeless demon's body away as it resumed its vigil back at the ruined section of wall.

Jose breathed in a labored breath as he realized his dire predicament. He felt his ankle swelling and he had to shift his weight just to stay standing. He was out of healing, and though Malleus bore many wounds from his previous battle with Keeta and Pig Iron , the demon did not appear to be hurt. While the Babau demon attacked him unfairly, it actually broke up the fight, albeit temporarily. He had no love for Malleus, but he was glad that the demon did not press the attack when he had the opportunity. Now that the Babau was vanquished he thought the pummeling he would receive would resume, but instead Malleus turned to Kaeda.

"Besides being beautiful, you have much power. After I defeat your mate, I will honor both of you by stealing you off to Zeletar to be my concubine. Fear not though, I will not touch you till you have given birth, and your son or daughter will be raised with the finest training," smiled the demon. "I will keep him or her safe like a fine wine, allowing the child to mature and train so that I can someday gain pleasure in killing it as well."

The bear gasped but made no move against Malleus, it simply drew itself back into a defensive position before magically blending into the ruined building. While the knight had no way of confirming the demon's statement, the druid's silence practically screamed the truth. He didn't realize that Kaeda was pregnant but guessed if anyone would know it would be a druid. He had only known the woman for a short while, and was initially more impressed by her beauty and grace than by her quiet nature. He slowly warmed to her kind gentle nature but he considered her simply as a pleasant and enchanting diversion to the brutal war around him. He pictured that if they somehow survived this war, they would both go on their separate paths, since she was a druid of the mountain folk, and he was a knight of the North. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt his heart belonged to another, and had hoped Kaeda would feel the same way.

All that changed after Malleus announced his crazy long term plans. Something snapped within him. Raw anger and fury flowed through him. Sir Jose's vision grew into a haze of red and he abandoned all thoughts of defeating the demon through skill and finesse. His spirit raged with the first tenant of his fighting style, and that was family. Despite his affection and admiration for Kaeda, she was basically only a passing fling for the grizzled knight, yet for some reason all he could think about was his need to protect her and their unborn child from any harm. The pain in his throat and shattered ankle disappeared as power flowed through his body.

* * *

The knight charged Malleus, ignoring his shattered ankle. Instead of aiming for his midsection he ran parallel to him and struck out his arm as he was passing.

Malleus almost scoffed at the seemingly futile attack, but Jose caught the demon full force across the neck and send him staggering back, stumbling to find his footing. Before Malleus readied his stance again, somehow Jose got behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist. The knight had a firm grip, but Malleus knew he had limited options from that hold. It was a desperation move, Malleus concluded. His armored neck or arm would have been a better target, while the hip was simply a delaying tactic so the knight could catch his breath. To his surprise, Jose did not treat it as a delaying move. Despite the demon's greater size and strength, the knight managed to lift him up. Malleus braced for another hip throw, but instead he was brought crashing down into the Jose's armored knee.

The demon's spine was jolted form its place as it rebounded in shock into the air. Malleus's knees were briefly pointed together and he barely prevented himself from falling on his face. He attempted to spin to face his opponent, but was met by an impossible jumping drop kick by Jose. The Cambion was knocked off its feet and crashed to the ground.

Malleus wasn't sure where this surge of strength came from, but was sure he could weather it. The demon rolled himself into a defensive sitting position, ready for any more attacks by Jose. To jump in armor was an impressive feat, but he was sure that the knight must have been exhausted by simply attempting it. His deduction proved correct as he spotted Jose on his knees next to a cart. The demon wasn't sure what the knight was doing but he appeared to be fumbling for something there. If Jose was any other opponent he would have expected him to be hiding underneath the vehicle, but that wasn't the case here. Malleus had a bad feeling about this and attempted to rise to his feet to meet whatever tricks Jose still had.

The demon's vigilance was awarded, as the knight dug out a short step ladder from under the cart. Malleus attempted to scramble to his feet, but it was too late. Jose placed the ladder under his arm, and charged the demon with it like a battering ram. Malleus was thrown on his back once again, with the knight smashing his chest and face repeatedly with the ladder from above.

Malleus was pummelled till he saw stars. The demon thrashed and kicked instinctively but he was powerless to stop what was to come next. He felt himself picked up and thrown over both shoulders of the knight. Another impossible task considering his size and the injuries to the knight, but it didn't surprise the demon. What did surprise the demon was that the knight appeared to be scaling the stairs of a nearby ruined building.

Malleus wasn't sure exactly what was happening, but he soon found himself before a smashed window overlooking the battlefield below. Even disorientated, it appeared that the Knight's allies had routed the remaining demons that weren't dispelled by the death of Gregor. The ones that weren't in pursuit of his fleeing allies appeared to be gathered below, gaping at what the knight would do next. All were stunned at the spectacle except for the were fox girl.

"Fireman's carry!" she hollered cryptically in delight as she stood atop a barrel and cheered.

Malleus wasn't sure what that meant, but it appeared to him that the knight was ready to throw him out the window into the streets below. A devastating attack, but the demon thought simply kicking him repeatedly while he was down would have been a better use of the knight's time and strength. All that this dramatic defenestration had given him was the chance to recover his power.

Before the demon could break the knight's hold though, Jose did the unexpected. Everyone gathered below either screamed or averted their eyes, except of course the werefox girl which seemed accustomed to the insanity that was occurring. Instead of throwing Malleus out the window, the knight fell out with the demon still wiggling futilely on his shoulders. Malleus briefly wondered if Jose lost his footing as the ground approached, even as he struggled to brace for the fall. It was useless though, the knight kept his grip as the pair of them smashed into the pavement below.

*GAGOOON*

Malleus couldn't move. He simply stared into the smoke filled sky, filled with shame at his defeat. He knew he was paralyzed, probably from both a shattered spine and neck from the suicidal attack. He attempted to spit out his black blood that was collecting in his mouth, but all he could manage was a pathetic river of drool. Despite his injuries, he thought it had been a good fight. Most demons scoffed at the quality of opposition from the Prime world, but Malleus thought different. There were some warriors here that were equal to any Pitfiend or Balor from the lower planes. He knew he would dissipate from this realm soon, but this was not the end. His body and spirit would eventually reform on the abyss and he would return to seek more challengers. He had only agreed to stay out of this world if the Knight was victorious, but clearly he had sacrificed himself during that last suicidal attack. He darted his eyes around one last time, hoping to see the mangled form of his opponent, but he only saw that the crowd cringing in awe of what had just happened. He could see their contempt for him, and he decided to give them something to remember him by.

While fighting Sir Jose, Malleus refrained from using his magic so as to test his martial skills to their limits, this crowd of rabble however deserved no such restraint. He summoned his ultimate spell, a torrent of darkness and fire that was coined the abyssal blast, to destroy his foes. A black ball of fire and evil formed above the demon, but before he intoned his spell , a length of armored leg that appeared more like a guillotine blade than an appendage dropped from the sky and crushed his neck.

Malleus gasped in both pain and surprise as he realized that Sir Jose had not only survived the fall, but had ruined his spell. The demon had known defeat before, but never so complete and humbling. He wasn't just beaten, he was broken.

"I .. I submit….," gasped Malleus weakly before he dissppeared from this world. As a final act, he summoned his sword. The obsidian blade tore through the ground and hurtled itself towards the knight. Instead of a final attack though, the blade stopped before Jose and presented itself to him.

Jose glared at the blade suspiciously before grasping its hilt and raising it above his head. He seemed at a lost for words, but simply tilted his head in acknowledgement to the demon.

"This defeat shall stain my honor for all of eternity, but it has been a pleasure doing battle with you, " smiled the demon weakly before disappearing.


	45. Chapter 45

"Ok everyone! Show's over," exclaimed Kit as she hopped over to a prone Sir Jose. She patted her ears and nose once to make sure they were their proper size before approaching her fallen lord. Whatever power or adrenaline that had kept the paladin standing had abandoned him and he collapsed to the ground. While her lord had somehow triumphed over the demon, she had seldom seen him so battered and beaten before.

Kit slid next to the knight and saw the extent of his wounds. Besides the patch work of bruises, cuts and lacerations, his ankle was swelled a deep purple and his throat seemed severely injured. Kit had ran out of healing a while ago , but managed to produce a vial from her pack. She tenderly unstoppered it and carefully poured it down his throat.

"I got these off Gregor's corpse. He sure liked to horde this stuff even though his cursed ass couldn't use any of it," shrugged Kit.

The bruises on the knight's neck and foot slowly vanished as the elixir did its work, but Jose did not wait for them to disappear. The battered warrior simply rose and walked towards the bear that was timidly waiting in the corner. He grabbed its paw, and in an instant the creature changed into the druid Kaeda.

"Keeta, get them ready to move," snarled Sir Jose as he waved to the bewildered troops that were milling about after the battle. "I need a few minutes alone to talk. " He then dragged Kaeda reluctantly away.

"Sure, no problem boss, I'll take care of it," Kit sighed.

When the knight and the druid got out of ear shot, Kit straightened her body and contorted her face. She puffed her cheeks out, comically attempting to give herself a square jaw like her lord. "Good work on stopping Gregor, Keytah," she said in a mocking deep voice.

"Thanks for the healing potions that saved my butt, my loyal squire. You are both strong, smart and good looking, " she continued in her deep voice. She then walked to Pig Iron and gave the dwarf a sip of the potion as well. The dwarf responded well and began to stretch and purr. Satisfied that he was fine, she then jumped atop the cart.

"Oh no worries boss, I'm always here to back you up, scrounge for healing, clean up your messes. No need for frivolous compliments, " she sighed. " You just take all the time you want with your girlfriend there, ol Kit will handle this," she complained.

Kit balanced herself atop a barrel sitting on the cart and turned her attention to the guards. They had handled that last battle well, but seemed restless and confused. She shook her head. Even without her enhanced ears she could confuse their confused whisperings.

"What was that? "

"Sir Jose was clearly beaten, but somehow he got superpowerful and defeated that demon."

"Is he using drugs?"

"How did he know there was a step ladder underneath the cart?"

"How do they wrestle in armor? and what's with the mask?"

"Were they both acting? Was the whole thing staged?"

"That looked so fake!"

"What's a fireman? Is that some type of pyromancer? "

"Did the demon surrender? Did he bow down to that knight?"

Kit listened to their mutterings and knew full well their confusion. She was baffled for weeks when she first saw her lord unleash the combat style of his homeland. North Darokin freestyle combat they called it, but they might as well call it reality bending, since the laws of physics and plausibility were thrown out the window when he used it. To this day she still couldn't reconcile the things she witnessed when he battled in that manner, and would have been driven mad if it weren't for what her friend Jimmy told her.

"Just count yourselves very lucky that the demon injured his throat! He could have been announcing his attacks or something stupid like that. Forget everything you just saw! ", declared the squire as she repeated the advice Jimmy had told her.

She could see from the blank expressions on their faces, that it was the best advice she could give them. Even the battle hardened Trent and the worldly Maid seemed addled at the battle they witnessed.

"If you try to make sense of all this, it just won't work! Just pretend you were watching a staged gladiator match or perhaps a play or a drama with some sword play thrown in. Don't think too much of this and concentrate on the battles ahead of us," she declared. Some of the soldiers attempted to question her, but she ignored them completely. Eventually the massed soldiers nodded numbly, and readied to continue their march.

Satisfied that the troops were properly debriefed, Kit hopped off the cart and readied herself for the last leg of their journey. When Jose returned they were just a short march away from Harbor Keep.

Even from their current position she could tell that the siege on the Citadel of the Snow Lion was intensifying, win or lose this battle would soon come to a head.

"So…..Kit. What did we just see? What was that all about? Are we hallucinating," asked Trent scratching his head. The halfling was at the center of the battle, and had sustained many acid and claw wounds. Despite this, he seemed more concern about Jose's bizarre battle than his own injuries.

Kit simply shook her head and handed her a healing potion.

"Forget everything you just saw, " she repeated.

* * *

Jose dragged Kaeda into an alley. The druid followed, but the knight noted a slight reluctance in her gait. He didn't blame her though, what the demon revealed was very private and personal and he wondered how much she knew or merely suspected. He guessed she needed time alone after Malleus confirmed her pregnancy, but he needed to straighten things out with her right away.

He knew that his allies gathered near the end of the battle, but he wasn't sure how much they heard. Regardless of what they knew he needed to talk to Kaeda alone so took her away from his friends. Satisfied that they were deep in the alley and away from even Kit's keen but prying ears, he turned to face the druid.

Kaeda seemed hesitant in her tight fitting floral robe. The tall mountain woman, with her fair face and light brown almost blonde hair, was as lovely as usual despite the sad expression on her face. Having gotten her here alone, Jose wanted to assure her, wanted to comfort her, but couldn't think of the words to say.

"The demon spoke the truth," admitted Kaeda softly." I wasn't completely sure, but I saw the signs and in my heart I knew it as well, but I …I.."

"..wanted to wait till the battle was over," guessed Jose. " You didn't want to add extra worry to your companions. You didn't want to be sent away."

Kaeda slumped her shoulders and shivered slightly. "This isn't the time to talk about this," she protested. She attempted to turn away but Jose's determined stare held her in place. "This isn't about my ego, about wanting to fit in. I know it's my duty to protect…protect our child, but…."

Jose winced as he saw Kaeda forcing herself to admit the baby was theirs. It pained him more than any wound that Malleus had given him.

"…but the world hinges on this battle. If what we've found out is true, then the Githyanki will return to the past and attempt to change history and alter this entire time line. I'm not an expert on time magic, or temporal arts, but there is a good chance that you and I might never meet. In fact we might no longer exist, and that means our baby certainly won't. I can't take that chance , I can't allow that. I might not be as powerful or experienced as Trent, Maid, or even Pig Iron, but I know I can make a difference. I can't sit back and do nothing," Kaeda pleaded.

Jose nodded. "I rather you not endanger yourself but I have no intention of sending you away. I know full well this war puts everyone at risk, and I won't turn away anyone that wants to help. It's bad enough that the fate of this world hinges on a battle so far out in the boonies that the great and useless kingdoms of the world can't send help even if they knew."

Kaeda forced a smile on her face at Jose's jest, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I…I just wanted to tell you that I will do the right thing when this is all over. I'll do whatever it takes to make things right between us. I'll bear the responsibility for our child," declared Jose. " I know you value your solitude, and I'll agree to whatever arrangement you want. If you want to be left alone in the mountains I'll agree. However, it my desire to make you my wife, " he added. Jose wasn't sure if that came out the way he wanted it. He reached out to embrace Kaeda, but the druid took a step back out of his reach.

Jose saw her eyes were on the verge of tears and did not pursue. "That's very noble of you, but I can't accept your offer," said Kaeda

Jose's heart sank. He knew it was a lot for Kaeda to accept so quickly, but he didn't expect such a quick refusal. A part of him was profoundly disappointed, and he wondered if he rushed the whole thing. He approached like a battle, and regretted doing so with such a lovely, smart and caring woman. While he had only known her for a short time, she was everything anyone could have wanted. Even his profound hatred of druids were tamed by this rare beauty's qualities.

"Why?" he asked in a defeated voice. His eyes were downcast and his spirit felt broken.

Kaeda did not reply and the pair simply stood in the alley in silence. Sir Jose didn't know what to say. He thought the pair of them hit it off pretty well, and just thought this would be the natural continuation of their relationship. Was it the fact she was a druid, and she hated everything civilized he represented? Maybe it was all just a game to her, and he meant nothing to her. Jose looked at the almost trembling druid and knew that wasn't the case.

"Please tell me why," he asked again in a slightly more forceful voice.

Kaeda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Jose wasn't going to press her anymore for an answer, and expected to simply ask again later. Most likely at a time when both them calmed down. It seemed rather pointless though, since they might not survive the final battle with the Githyanki. While he discovered he had more at stake than before, his resolve at battling his astral foe did not falter. If anything, he knew there was now even more pressure for him to win. It wasn't just his own life, Kaeda's life, and perhaps all of Grom, but the knowledge his unborn child's fate hung in the balance spurred him on even more. Jose wondered why this didn't panic him, and why he rather face an army of dimensional raiders than to deal with his uncertain relationship with Kaeda.

"Do you love me?" blurted out Kaeda, finally breaking the silence between the pair.

Jose wanted to say yes, he wanted to confirm his connection with the druid so badly, but he couldn't say it. "I…I care for you deeply," he replied. He cursed himself for his indecision and immediately began to clarify himself. " I mean , I do…"

Kaeda put a finger to his lip and shook her head. " You don't have to embarrass the both of us. I know you enough to realize you can't lie, or at least not easily. "

"You know I don't think fast on my feet. I said the wrong thing. I really meant it when I said I care for you deeply," sighed the knight.

Kaeda nodded, " I know. I care for you deeply as well. You are a good man, but…but I know you love another. Your heart doesn't belong to me, it belongs to the one called Stille," the druid said sadly.

Jose stopped, he felt a flash on anger in him, but it was quickly replaced by a deep disappointment. "I haven't seen her in ages. We separated a while ago. Did Keeta bring her up? Did she warn you about her? " he asked more out of curiosity than anger.

Kaeda shook her head."No, you did. You often call out to her in your sleep, you….", she stopped but Jose knew what she was going to say. He once called out to Stille when they coupled. He immediately caught himself, and hoped that Kaeda didn't notice it. She didn't react at the time and he thought she missed his slip. Now he knew he was just deluding himself.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you. I wish I could make it right," apologized Jose.

While Kaeda spurned his embrace earlier, she stepped towards the knight and hugged him deeply as her tears were finally released. Jose gently stroked her hair as she spent her tears. He wanted to do more for her, but he wasn't sure what .

"Life in the mountains is hard. Survival is a way of life. I was taught by my elders that some things are more important than one's vanity. I should be happy that you are willing to bear responsibility for our child. I should be happy that you've taken enough interest in me to take me as your wife. You are strong, brave, and you possess a rare nobility. It's cliché for me to say, but my elders would consider you an ideal Alpha male," explained Kaeda after she composed herself.

"However, I don't know why, but I need more. It's selfish to our unborn child, but I desperately need more," she pleaded. "I know it's childish, and I sound like a spoiled little girl, but I just desire to be wanted, to be loved. I can't be your wife knowing that your heart belongs to another. "

Jose wanted to protest, but said nothing. Did he still have feelings for Stille? Why couldn't he simply let the baroness go? She was a special woman, but that was a part of his life that he had parted ways with a long time ago.

Why couldn't he simply have said ' I love you " to Kaeda? Did he take her affection for granted? She was every bit as special as Stille, but he couldn't confess his feelings to her. He wanted to do the right thing, but he wasn't sure of the path to take. It was so much easier during battle. He could pick a plan and follow through, regardless if it was tactically sound or not. Force of will and the strength of his sword arm could forge victory in battle, but he was powerless here.

"I wish the demon never revealed my secret. I'm sorry for making this so hard for you. I'm a fool to make this such a mess. We still have the Githyanki to worry about, and I promise I won't hinder you anymore. We can discuss our relationship, discuss our child at some later time," she said in a distant voice.

Jose reluctantly agreed. "I'm sorry. I'm better at crushing my foes and striding over their corpses than handling personal matters."

He wasn't sure how wise it would be for him to go into battle with so many questions at the back of his mind. He thought it best to simply send her away, or perhaps to the Southern Keep house under the pretense she was reinforcing the defenders there. A part of him however wanted her close to him. She wasn't the most seasoned warrior, but she had the most raw magical power amongst them. If he was going to have any chance of victory, he will need her at his side. He wasn't sure how to tell her all this and couldn't find the words. He simply held out his hand toward the druid as if she were any other soldier.

Kaeda looked at Jose's hand . She hesitated briefly before awkwardly gripping and shaking it.

"We'll discuss this when this is all over," vowed Jose.

Kaeda suppressed her tears and looked at Jose earnestly. "Of course,we'll talk when you stride victoriously over the corpses of your enemies," she said as she finally cracked a smile.


	46. Chapter 46

Kitahria stared at the Harbor Keep. After the bloody skirmish with Gregor and his demon horde, their band had made their way quickly through the rest of the city. Despite their numerous delays and battles, she guessed the last leg of their journey set their arrival time only slightly behind what Trent predicted. Now that they have reached the structure, Kit took a moment to survey it. She had only viewed it from afar through the smoke and fires of the burning city, and thought her earlier view didn't do it justice.

It was over 100 feet tall, a towering edifice constructed of dark stone . While it was massive in size, most of it seemed abandoned or unused. Only the front part seemed to be well kept, and used to watch over the harbor. It was a collection of multiple walls, keeps, and disjointed towers, hobbled together seemingly in a random pattern. Kit noted it seemed different from the rest of the architecture of the city, even the other fortresses like the Southern Gate house or even the barracks. She recalled that ruffian Grinder telling her that the city was transported from some southern climate a century ago, and guessed this was some ancient derelict from that time.

As Kit gazed upon the fortress she likened it to some of the cities she had visited in her many travels. When she travelled through the mysterious and ancient lands of Vinnraj, she saw cities that were built upon the ruins of multiple older civilizations. She recalled sneaking through them with the Rakshasa Mogombo, and the wonderment she experienced as she explored through the multiple layers of those sub city layers. Kit likened the sight of the Harbor Keep to one of those cities, except it was somehow unburied and standing balanced over the bay leading to Sasserine. The squire pondered how this fortress came to be, but dismissed the thought quickly. She had seen far more fantastic sights in the world, and now was no time to gape at some cobbled together keep.

Kit turned her attention from the patchwork fortress and focused instead on what really matter, her companions and comrades in arms. She worried about her friends, since victory itself was far from certain. The squire realized that though they had fought through many battles together, the chances that all of them would survive the next battle would be slim.

Kit knew that one of them had already fallen. While most of her companions considered Madeline more of a companion of circumstance, Kit had nothing but respect for her. In fact, the old dragon's devotion to her eggs stirred a feeling inside of her that gave the squire some hope. If a creature of such legendary evil and greed could be so selfless about her children, then Kit thought there was some hope even for an ex assassin and murderer like herself. Kit's heart grew heavy at the thought that Madeline had been defeated. While her friends avoided the subject around her, she knew that Magda had mostly likely been destroyed by the invading Githyanki Host. The dragon had terrorized the smaller enemy dragons at the beginning of the battle but there was little sign of her since. Kit knew that after their initial surprise that the enemy would hone both their dragons and arcane power to strike Madeline down. As the tiger in the jungle could be taken down by a pack of wild dogs, so too could the mighty Magda fall to a host of smaller dragons.

Kit shook off the thought and instead concentrated on her surviving friends.

Pig Iron had recovered nicely and was now scampering as usual around the new fort, most likely looking for mice or some other such nonsense. When she first met the strange dwarf, Kit was more than annoyed at his behavior. She at first thought Pig Iron was mocking her bestial nature or something with his strange actions. Now that Kit knew the burly dwarf's behavior was caused by the golden sword he held, she felt a bit more compassion about his actions.

Sergeant Trent was busy preparing the fortress and addressing the troops that had arrived earlier. The workable siege weapons on the keep were presumably meant to be able to shoot the length of the harbor, and the halfling seemed comfortable in their operations. He was directing soldiers to shift their arcs and was giving out short instructions on the weapons' operation. The other guardsmen that arrived at the keep had been sent in a wide patrol around the city, while their band was sent through it. Seeing them here meant that most of Sasserine was cleared and the bulk of the enemy were besieging the Citadel of the Snow Lions. Kit saw that their comrades had picked up quite a few stragglers along the way and Trent was busy reorganizing them. With their supply of curative potions and wands, and the healing stash that Kit lifted off Gregor's corpse, Trent was busy designating the less capable soldiers as back up healers. For the rest, the Halfling was arming them from the Harbor Keep's armory, and supplying them mainly with both light armor and bows.

Kit saluted the industrious little Halfling. The seasoned veteran was an experienced soldier and knew his craft well. Kit still wasn't certain about the Great War or the Great Halfling snowball fight or whatever it was called, but she was certain his combat acumen would serve them well in the approaching final battle. Win or lose, whatever tactical plan that Trent and Sir Jose devised, Kit was confident it would make the Githyanki pay.

Maid as predicted was at Trent's side. Of all the people she's met since she arrived at the Western Freeholds, she considered the secretive innkeeper her closest friend and confidant. There was a lot about Maid that seemed odd or unusual to Kit, but the squire accepted it in stride. Everything from her made up name, to the flimsy premise that she was an innkeeper, to her uncanny ability to seemingly disappear from plain sight seemed highly dubious to Kit. The squire was normally wary of people that struck her in an odd way or possibly concealed some ulterior motive, but in Maid's case it all seemed strangely natural, and for lack of a better word, right. Kit found the innkeeper's presence comforting and did not feel manipulated or used in any way. She wasn't sure why, but simply chalked it up to either her were fox intuition or perhaps her newly acquired paladin sense.

Kaeda the druid seemed troubled as of late. Currently she was magically growing creeper vines along the walls of the fortress. While the fortress seemed quite sturdy, Kit knew it wasn't made out of adamant ore or anything like that. Now that they were out of the mountains, the squire knew that the vines would help hinder the astral phasing abilities of their foe, since it was impossible to step out of the aether into a living being. Even as she did this important task , Kaeda clung closely to Sir Jose. Kit noted there was something about the normally timid and meek druid that was different. Kit remembered the last conversation she had with her, and she regretted revealing a piece of her lord's past. She guessed that Kaeda had been probing around about Lady Stille and was simply digging her claws into Jose to stake claim or something from her distant rival. Kit expected her Lord to rebuff her efforts, but strangely he seemed closer to the druid than ever. The squire was a bit bewildered at first, but simply chalked it up to the beautiful Kaeda's feminine charms and wiles. Kit never guessed such an aggressive approach to courtship would work since all she's ever heard was that guy's like to show off their confidence and poise, but the druid's tactic had clearly broken down her lord's defenses.

Though Kit accepted and welcomed Kaeda, she often found herself wary of her strange background even more than Maid's. She guessed it was only natural since she had a strong bestial side to her and druids were known to charm and place glamors on animals. The last thing she wanted was to be converted into some animal companion or protector to one of the nature priests, regardless of how benevolent they were.

Finally Sir Jose appeared ready for war as usual. With Kaeda at his side, he seemed to radiate a supreme confidence that raised the morale of all that saw him. Even with his swarthy complexion, his scarred face, and his blood caked and battered armor, he looked every bit like some conquering hero ready to do battle with the forces of evil. With sword and shield in hand, Sir Jose was more than ready to smite his foe. Kit smirked as she thought if there was one thing her lord was exceptional at and that was starting a fight. Since she was taken under his wing, she saw him fight at a drop of a hat if he thought he was in the right. Regardless if he was capable of winning, Sir Jose was always ready to do battle. Everything from dragons, giants, and demons he would test his steel against. Kit chuckled as she recalled her lord fighting over stupid trivial things as well. Tax collectors, snotty waiters, stable boys, and even mimes were not spared her lord's wrath, though in those circumstances he would resort to fisticuffs. Kit almost broke up giggling at the imagery in her head. She was born in a land where hand to hand combat was elevated to a respectable art. She had studied many striking and grappling styles but wasn't quite sure what to classify her lord's 'Daro's Lucha' style as. It seemed more performance art than combat, but she did grudgingly admit it was effective.

Kit sighed at the thought of her lord. So much had changed since she first met him. At first, she was nothing but a lowly assassin kept as a pet by Mogombo to slay his enemies. Sir Jose and Lady Stille caught her fleeing her master's lair when it was breached by the Ivory Lady and the demon hunters Martinez and Raoul, and by all rights they should have killed her. Most knight's under a similar circumstance wouldn't have risked keeping Kit alive and would have simply killed her to be safe, but Jose not only spared her but took her under his wing. Kit recalled the strange first few days under her new 'captor'. She wasn't kept under heavy guard and she wondered if she was being baited to escape. She reasoned she could have, but thought that Martinez and his gang would track her down and slay her. Fear kept her from fleeing at first, but that was soon replaced by respect and kinship. Unlike Mogombo who treated her more as a useful tool, Sir Jose seemed to genuinely care for her well-being, to the point that he took her as his own squire.

Kit wondered if she was indoctrinated or brainwashed into accepting his world views of principle, honor, order, and decency. Under Mogombo she was taught that might makes right, and the strong take what they want and makes the rules, and at the time it made sense. It was a pretty big shift in perspective, and Kit wondered if she was able to make such a big change because she was only a child at the time. Regardless of the reasons of her drastic alignment alteration, she knew in her heart and soul that she had found her calling and would never change.

Lady Stille once told her a fable of orcs and their violent nature. The orcs lived in a cave surrounded by darkness. Even with their dark vision, all they ever saw were the shadows cast on the cave walls by their small fires. To the orcs, the distorted shadows were their only perception on reality, even though their vision would change if they ever left their caves. Stille explained that Orcs were not inherently evil or destructive creatures but their circumstances forced them to be what they were. In a strange way, Kit felt like the orcs in a cave, and somehow Sir Jose brought her out into the light to see the world for what it was.

Kit rubbed her chin at her train of thought and thought that if paladin didn't work out she might give philosophy a try. In all likelihood it was probably a dead end career path for her. Even if she did live through this, she had promised to take care of Madeline's eggs. If they somehow hatched, she had to make sure the vicious little buggers wouldn't eat each other and more importantly wouldn't eat herself. If she somehow made it through all that, she still had doubts anyone would take Lady Kit the were fox paladin seriously if Jose wasn't in sight.

Kit shrugged at that notion and decided to explore some of the upper levels of the Harbor Keep before the battle started. She reached the main gate and found the stairs up, but was interrupted by a grunt.

Kit turned and saw it was the grizzled mercenary named Grinder.

"I need you for a minute or two, girly," barked the scarred warrior.

Kit scrunched her nose and was not too happy about his tone.

"Oh, excuse me….I mean , I need you for a minute or two, Lady Kit, " sneered Grinder as if he read her mind." There's something in the basement that requires your unique skill set."

Kit glared at the man and his belittling attitude but simply shrugged as her curiosity got the better of her. "What's in the basement," she asked.

Grinder smiled and motioned her to follow.

"When the other guard detachment arrived here, they found a small tribe of goblins had already reached here before them," he explained.

Kit raised an eyebrow," Goblins? Oh I get it. They're in warrens or something down there, and you need someone small to root them out. I guess Trent is kind of busy right now, but I'm your warrior if you need some goblin asses kicked," she declared proudly.

Grinder shook his head as he lit a torch and lead her further down into the keep. "These particular goblins are tired of dieing. Apparently they've already got their asses kicked in Essuria once, and then twice a few weeks later when they stormed the place again. I'm guessing that the Githyanki kept them complacent with magic and due to the chaotic nature of this siege they weren't able to renew their enchantment. This last siege started out well, but as you know things are turning sour for them. From that slaad nonsense and their supplies being cut off by the Southern Gatehouse, it's a bad day to be an attacker unless you are riding a dragon. Without magic keeping them in line, they took the first opportunity and bolted for it," elaborated the mercenary.

Kit paused as she took in this new information.

"Wait, so you don't want me to kill them?" she asked.

Grinder let loose a short barking laugh. " Typically, I would be right there with you chopping goblin heads off, but we're kind of in a bind right now. Goblins are craven , cowardly creatures but they aren't our immediate enemy. Also we can't afford committing men to this skirmish regardless of how trivial it would be. The goblins are sick and tired of fighting for the Githyanki, but that doesn't mean they're on our side. However, a person with your unique skills should be able to sway what passes as their chieftain to our side. "

Kit thought that Sir Jose would be better suited to 'negotiate' or more likely bully these little humanoid rascals. After all, her lord practically radiated an aura of leadership, while Kit seemed more adept at blending into the shadows or out of sight. Despite her reservations, Kit considered this task as a challenge to prove herself worthy of paladinhood and waved Grinder to continue. "Lead on, I'll sway them to fight for us," she boasted.

Grinder nodded at her eagerness and smiled. "You're just like Sir Jose you know. Sure your fighting styles are different, but you have the same determination, the same arrogant swagger."

Kit took his statement as praise and bowed slightly. "You've known my master for a while I take it?"

"I knew him before he was recruited by Sir Rollo. We were adventurers back then and thought we were the kings of the world. We hung out at a keep on the borderlands, explored a lost city, busted up a veiled society, and even rescued a silver princess from her palace," laughed Grinder. " He was hot tempered, brash and full of piss back then. Not too different from now, cept he does a better job of hiding it and umm..he drinks less."

Kit began giggling at the comment, but a foul smell interrupted her mirth. It was the scent of trash, garbage, and refuse. The smell of goblins.

Grinder seemed to have sensed it too and halted his progress down the stairs. He waved his torch in a wide arc overhead and soon the bottom of the stairs were filled with beady red eyes staring at them just outside the light's range. Kit's superior vision could still see them and she noted they looked like typical goblins save the fact that they were more scarred and bandaged, and had a thinner look to them.

"Bree Yark Grinkletooth! " shouted Grinder. "I bring the were fox!"

The goblins hissed and growled and all their eyes seemed to focus on Kit. The squire stopped as she felt their attention and inadvertently ducked behind the mercenary. "What's this? I thought you needed my …umm..paladin negotiation skills. I'm not really a were fox, I'm more of a kitsune," she babbled nervously.

"Kitwhat? Anyways, it's the same difference to them. Just go down there and use your were fox magic on their boss," explained Grinder.

"Were fox magic? I can't do magic, I have trouble enough talking to Rasmus," babbled Kit.

Grinder snorted. "Nonsense. You might be young ..and a bit flat chested…as were foxes go, but I saw you charm Ogela's squire. Their chief is awaiting you and your magic so get to it."

Kit grew red at the memory of her short time alone with Rasmus. She then shook her head. "That makes no sense. I assume they've already broken their charm from the Githyanki, or more likely the spell lapsed. Even if I could cast an enchantment, why would they want to get charmed again?"

Grinder shrugged his shoulders. "Look, it some sort of monster code or something. The weak monsters work for the stronger monsters , who in turn work for some critter even more powerful. They establish their pecking order through might, or in thie case magic. It sounds strange but if you think about it that's how human society works, cept replace the word strong with money. I would do this myself, but I'm not a monster in the sense that they recognize. You on the other hand are a full fledged Werekitfoxthingy. As long as you don't do something stupid , that's something they can respect and work under. "

"But…really..I don't have any magic," protested Kit. The thought f being surrounded by goblins didn't frighten her since she suspected she could simply draw her kukris and hack them to bits. She had fought goblins many times in the past and knew they were ill suited for close quarter combat. They were more suited to skirmish battles or static defense from hardened position than tunnel fighting. The prospect of attempting to charm their leader however, sent waves of teenage awkwardness through her.

Grinder turned towards the swarm of beady red eyes. "One sec.." he demanded before turning back to Kit. "Look girl, I saw you were a paladin and I got that right didn't I? It didn't take a genius to figure out you were a were fox with your ears and tail changing all the time, so stopped denying your nature and get down there and charm the buffoon. Goblins aren't particularly scary or dangerous, but goblin arrows are. I figure there's about two score of them, and if you get them to fight for us, that's about two score bows pointed at the Githyanki when they attempt to storm this fortress," he argued. "If the thought of working with goblins offends you, we can fix that. If it makes you feel better, we can place them in a weakly defended area and use them as bait or something, " he added with a whisper.

Kit stared in shock at Grinder and then at the goblins. The mercenary was right, their bows would be handy in the upcoming battle. She wasn't sure if she could sway them to join but nodded meekly as she descended the stairs.

The goblins scampered and cringed as she approached save a particularly big headed specimen that wore a chamber pot for a helmet. Kit guessed that this comical creature was the one called Grinkletooth. It too seem nervous at her approach but it gained some of its courage when Kit stood before him. He glanced at the squire a few times then scowled. "You promised that you bring us were foxy boss lady! This no were fox , this skinny human boy!", it shouted in protest to Grinder. "Me bet it no use magic mojo on me."

Kit's awkwardness was replaced by anger at the slight. In a flash she drew her kukris and a split second later one was placed firmly underneath the goblin chieftain's neck.

"Listen here. If you want to live you will do as I say. You will bring your goblins to the upper fort and there you will fight for me. If you agree to my simple terms you will be given passage out of the city if you survive the battle. If you don't like them, then I will hack everyone one of you down with my blades and slake my thirst with your blood. Perhaps a few of you can escape my blade, but if the Githyanki win, I'm sure they'll finish the job that I started, " snarled Kit. For added effect, the squire shifted her eyes and teeth to give herself a more savage appearance and even allowed a trickle of drool to slowly fall from her jaws.

Grinkletooth gulped uneasily and nodded. Kit relaxed her blade and the goblin almost fell on his back. The goblin then turned towards his minions and shouted. "Me charmed! Me work for fox lady now!"

"Bree Yark! ", shouted the small goblin horde.

Grinder grinned at Kit. "See, I was right wasn't I . I told you , that you had magical powers," he beamed knowingly.


	47. Chapter 47

The Harbor Keep was ready for war. The walls were patched and additional mantlets were placed against flying attackers. Anything flammable and non-essential was safely stored deep into the keep. The archers were resupplied and well hidden in the battlements. Traps and deadfalls were set in the inner passages. Even the siege weapons were repositioned and reloaded with specialized ammunition.

From the highest tower of the incongruous mishmash fortress, Sir Jose stood up on an anvil and surveyed his troops. In return they stared up at the paladin and seemed uneasy with the upcoming battle. The knight expected most of them to die and didn't blame their reluctance. Most were simple guards, men more accustomed to keep the peace at a rowdy bar and to ensure the proper flow of taxes to the authority. Some were soldiers, warriors paid a paltry four gold coins a month to keep the roads and mines of the Western Freeholds free of monster. Twenty were Trent's handpicked Halfling Dogoons, seasoned veterans more accustomed to a skirmish battle than an all-out siege. Others were townsfolk, through no fault of their own cut off from the safety of the southern gates and conscripted now into defending the wall. A couple of them were mercenaries and adventurers, seasoned sell swords and explorers drawn to battle like a moth to flame. Also, due to his squire Kitahria, even goblins have joined his ranks. Jose wasn't sure if the creatures battled to redeem their crimes or if it was through forceful coercion by his unconventional cohort. In the end it didn't matter if they fought simply for survival, fame, or duty. They were all that stood between the Githyanki and their attempt to hop backwards through time.

Sir Jose wasn't a magician by any stretch of the imagination but he trusted the opinions of his advisers. Through the notes and maps they had recovered from one of the enemy's bases, they had determined their foe were displaced warriors from their own timeline. Their astral fortress was somehow thrown forwards in time during a great battle, and they made preparations to travel back to finish their fight. The paladin recalled that particular battle from his lessons under his mentor Sir Rollo, but wasn't too sure about the specifics. All he knew was that the Githyanki attempted a massive invasion almost a century ago and was beaten back at great cost. The greatest heroes of that age assembled to defeat them, and even that was almost not enough. Sir Jose wasn't sure if the enemy could travel back in time but he knew he couldn't risk them attempting it. Even against the likes of Hida Franksada, the Mistress of the Lionblade, and even the Warmaster of Grom, Sir Jose knew that the scales of battle might be tipped in the enemy's favor; especially if they returned with fresh troops, supplies, and repairs. If they were successful in altering the past then everything he held dear in the present might be altered and irrevocably changed.

Sir Jose sighed deeply. It was only a few months ago that such a prospect might have appealed to him. He didn't want to admit it, but he accepted the quest to bring peace to the Western Freeholds more as an escape than his sacred holy duty. His world had fallen apart after he harshly rebuffed the Lady Stille in one of his drunken rages. He should have humbly asked for forgiveness and made amends to her, but his foolish pride prevented him and plunged him deeper in despair. This of course brought about even more drinking and the alienation of even more of his friends. In the end he knew he hit rock bottom and saw Sir Rollo's Crusade as a way to redeem himself and make a fresh start. He intended to partake in this journey alone, but to his surprise his loyal sidekick Kitahria stuck by his side.

Through the course of events that followed when he reached the Freeholds, Sir Jose found some things he had thought lost forever. He found friendship in Sherriff Trent, it was rare enough to meet a veteran with such a similar past to himself, and even rarer to find one that rode a dog as well. In the demon Malleus he found a worthy rival. Even though they were mortal enemies he found that their battles had brought out a greatness in him that he thought long lost. The old hag dragon Magda taught him humility. They had fought bitterly in the past, and he had even taken her eye, but the dragon put such conflicts behind her when it came to her eggs. In Kaeda he rediscovered love. The kind and gentle nature priestess was able to erase not only his bitter memories of druids, but that of his failed relationship with the Lady Stille. While memories of Stille still clawed at his heart, the admission from the druid that she bore his child had changed everything for the paladin. He would have sent her away to safety, but now was not the time when everything hanged in the balance. Most importantly…

"Boss, my team is ready!" shouted Kit from the tower below his, interrupting the paladin's thoughts.

"It's about time Keeta," grunted the paladin.

Though his response was in his typical gruff manner, Jose felt an overwhelming pride at his squire. Of all his companions he regarded his squire his most important. She had shown him that there was hope even under the most dire of circumstances and light in the darkest of nights. She was nothing but the personal assassin to a demon when he met her in the dark alleys of Grom City. He was well within his rights to slay this miserable creature when he captured her, but her youth and a pride similar to his own stayed his hand. She was a monster bound by her own bloodlusts and he thought she would never change her ways, but remarkably and against all odds she did. It wasn't an easy process, and most of his lessons were met with little progress, but the snarling werefox girl somehow transformed to a snarling werefox squire. It was true that as paladins go she was still a little rough around the moral edges, but he admitted he wasn't exactly the role model of knighthood himself. They were initially warden and captor, then mentor and student and now he regarded her more as a daughter than anything else.

Of all the great deeds he had done in his career. All the monsters he had slain, quests he completed, and even maidens he rescued, he regarded Kit as his greatest accomplishment. He would have sent her away to safety as well, but he knew that was no defense against what the Githyanki intended to do. Better to die standing and staring defiantly into your enemy's eyes than to cower against an unseen foe, he thought.

"Are we gonna start this today esay?" asked Grinder with a yawn. The old warrior then handed the knight a small bottle with a familiar agave scent, " For after the battle," he added as he lifted a similar bottle in a mock toast.

Sir Jose nodded at his old acquaintance's 'gift'. While he refrained from drink now, he did appreciate the old warrior's gift. He then strapped his shield to his back, and sheathed his preferred broadsword. Out of his magical pack he brought out the silverblade he won from the Githyanki guardian. As it was brought forth into the ocean air it seemed to vibrate and shine at the battle nearby, seemingly calling out to its former owners. The effect was immediate and even from this distance Jose sensed a slight falter in the enemies attack on the citadel of the Snow Lion. Even as he watched he saw several dragons break off their attack and fly towards the Harbor Keep. This was of course expected , but the knight ignored them for now and simply stared at the greatsword and marveled at the craftsmanship and deadly beauty of the weapon.

"Well that did it, the party's coming our way ," commented the old mercenary. Grinder than turned to the paladin and noticed him marveling at the weapon in his hands. " That's a purty pig sticker. Does it have a name? "

Sir Jose shrugged his shoulders, "Foe Caller? How about that?"

"That works,"agreed Grinder. "Now are you going to start this thing? I rather die with a Gith sword through the gut than of old age, " he chuckled.

Jose grunted approvingly. He then hopped off the anvil and turned to his waiting troops below. "I'm not good at speeches," he shouted to his men. "So I only have one thing to say to you."

The defenders of the Harbor Keep fell silent as they waited on the paladin's words.

"ARIBA! DAROS LUCHA!" he roared.

"DAROS LUCHA!" echoed the defenders in a deafening roar.

* * *

Kit rolled her eyes at the inane battle cry. She expected some type of rallying words of wisdom from her lord, but she guessed a simple battle cry would work.

She peered over the battlements and saw a half dozen dragons had broken off the main siege and were headed their way. They glowed slightly violet in color and soared towards Harbor Keep at a much greater speed than dragon wings were normally capable of. Kit suspected magic and her guess was confirmed as she saw riders in baroque yellow and jeweled armor atop the beasts. Six Githyanki mages on dragon mounts could easily slay a company of soldiers, break a siege wide open , or even roast a party of adventurers, but they were small fry in the grand scheme of things. They didn't hike all the way to Harbor Keep to pick a fight with them, they were after much bigger fish.

"I don't think Jose has their full attention, "commented Maid as if reading Kit's thoughts. "Maybe he should stand on that anvil and wave the sword around some more. Like why does he have an anvil up there anyways? Is he gonna drop it on one of their heads?"

"Just wait a bit love, "sighed Trent. The halfling's war dog, Fluffy Two, placed its paws over its head and whined in response.

Kit grinned at the Halfling's pet name for her friend. Despite their physical differences, the paired made a cute couple she thought.

Maid smiled at the Halfling and gently stroked his greying hair. The Halfling in return playfully drove her hand away. "Not now. We're about to be slain by Githyanki, now's not the time to fool around," complained Trent, "Besides, not in front of Kit please."

The Innkeeper almost burst out laughing in response to his rebuff. "If the world's about to end I can't think of a better time to fool around. Anyways, your just grumpy that Sir Jose has you stationed with us, and not up there where the action is," she noted as she pointed to the higher tower the paladin defended.

Sure enough, the magically propelled dragons were currently circling the highest fortifications. The dragons circled once before unleashing their firebreaths against the paladin, while their riders responded by unleashing bolts of lightning against him. Sir Jose was bathed in fire and lightning and for a second Kit thought he looked like the Avatar of Rawk, the war god that held fire in one hand and lightning in the other. Despite the dramatic display, Kit didn't feel any particular worry. The tower was much too sturdy to collapse by such an attack, and she knew that the knight had been given magical wards against both fire and lightning before the battle by Kaeda. Their opponents flashy but moderately powerful attacks were merely wasting their attack against her lord.

Trent observed the battle and twisted uncomfortably at Maid's continued caress. " It was my suggestion that I should be stationed with you two," he corrected. " But Jose's a dog rider like myself, and a part of me thinks I should be fighting at his side."

Maid tilted her head back and placed the back of her palm on her forehead, she then fell backwards slightly against the smaller Kit, as if struck by a terrible fainting spell. "My love rather spend time with grumpy old Jose than with myself. Kit, whatever shall I do? " she said in feigned distress.

Kit giggled at her friend's theatrics, but involuntarily flinched when the air was split by a high pitch draconic shriek. She stared up and saw that the sky above them were being blanketed by arrows and bolts from the massed archers and crossbowmen that were waiting in preparation. Despite their magical protections two of the Githyanki mages were struck down by the volley, while most of the dragons shrugged off the projectiles with little or no effect due to their thick scales.

"I could've targeted their eyes, " sniffed Trent at the battle above. Fluffy two barked once in agreement.

Kit nodded in agreement with his boast, the Halfling was a formidable sharpshooter and she knew his presence and marksmanship was currently missed.

As the remaining dragons and their riders pulled back out of range, the riderless dragons dove towards the tower. Kit knew there was little chance the monsters would be converted or something to their side, and guessed that they were simply acting out on their hunger for carnage. An impulse the squire was all too familiar with.

One of the dragons crashed through one of the lower walls, and from her vantage point Kit could see it rip and tear through the goblin archers stationed there. The other slightly larger one dove at Sir Jose and Kit guessed it wanted to impress its Githyanki overlords by taking out the most visible enemy.

Kit couldn't see the battle atop the highest tower, but she heard angry shouts and what sounded like a screeching cat and the roars of an angry dragon from the goblin breech. The hole was lit briefly by a fiery aura, and the frenzied sounds of combat followed. After some more goblin screeches of pain, the draconic attacker attempted to scramble out of the hole it made. Kit saw that it was hacked horribly in multiple spots as it took flight into the air with its now tattered wings. For a second it looked like the dragon had escaped its attackers, but an extremely broad dwarf appeared on the cusp of the hole and launched a goblin at the fleeing monster with a powerful overhead throw. The wailing goblin sailed through the air and struck the dragon in mid-air. The maddened projectile clung to the dragon's back in its fright, and it was enough to unbalance the injured monster and send it spiraling out of control. The wounded dragon plummeted downwards and desperately clawed its unwelcomed passenger in an attempt to regain its balance. It easily impaled the goblin and shrieked at its small victory, but it was too late as it smashed into the battlements below. When the dust settled, Kit saw its body embedded into the bricks, contorted in an unnatural pattern.

Meanwhile the wounded dragon riders regrouped and attempted to target the archers defending the keep. They dove in close to unleash their fire and magic, but the walls and wards on the keep kept most of them safe. One dragon rider braved the withering arrow fire and landed vertically against the side of one of the lower tower's walls. The dragon's sharp claws enabled it to cling like a bat against the battlements, as it craned its neck directly next to one of the archer murder holes. Screams of pain followed as it funneled its fiery breath into the archer hole, bypassing both arcane and mundane defenses. The creature roared in triumph but its victory was short lived as a large barbed spear impaled it through the back. The monster thrashed briefly before it hung limply against the side of the wall. Its rider attempted to levitate to safety but was met by a hail of arrow fire before he could get to safety. The Githyanki was outlined briefly by a blue shell that seemed to repel most of the arrows, but so many arrows were directed his way that the mage was quickly slain, his limp body oddly hovering next to his dead mount , as if keeping vigil over his former companion.

"Aww, they brought out their siege weapons too soon. I wanted them to wait till the second wave arrives," complained Trent as he pointed out the concealed ballistae that had fired the spear at the dragon.

"Most of them are still concealed, and it's not like they weren't expecting this keep to have some siege weapons, "reassured Kit. While her point was valid, the two remaining dragons and their riders pulled out of range once again. Kit was pretty sure the first riderless dragon was quickly dispatched by Sir Jose when it foolishly attempted to challenge him, but she lost track of where the other one died.

A cheer came from the defenders as Sir Jose hopped back onto the anvil and back into Kit's view. The knight appeared a bit blackened by ash and covered in blood, but for the most part appeared unhurt.

"Is this all you've got? Is this rabble all that the mighty scourges of the astral plane can throw at me? I thought your masters really wanted this sword back. I'm not impressed! "shouted the knight to the cheers of his troops.

Maid shook her head at the show above. "I thought the plan was that the Githyanki lose their minds and attack all out when they see Jose and their precious sword," she said as she pointed at the two remaining dragon riders. "Looks like they are going to regroup , reinforce and then attack us in a more systematic manner. We have no chance of winning if they fight smart," she warned.

Kit nodded in agreement with her friend, though she spent most of her time organizing the goblin conscripts she gathered, she thought that was the gist of the plan as well.

"Oh, don't worry. Sir Jose might be a great knight, but I think he missed his true call as a showman," he smiled as he pointed up again.

Sir Jose hopped off the anvil and placed his marvelous silver blade atop the anvil. He then brought out a heavy stone sledge sitting nearby and raised it above his head. " Well if you guys don't want this sword, then I guess I don't want it as well! " he shouted before he brought the hammer crashing down on the blade.

The hammer slammed into the blade and for a split second time seemed to stand still. A loud hum that seemed to blanket the city emanated from the blade as sparks flew off it. Jose looked at the sword curiously and raised his hammer even higher to strike it, but paused before he struck the second blow.

The air shimmered as motes of prismatic energy filled the air. The sky split asunder as the very fabric of reality seemed to rip the heavens. Kit briefly saw an ocean of silvery stars in the air before a black mountain floated through the opening. It was as large as one of the icebergs she had seen drift through the northern oceans, except it appeared to be made of some sort of dark solid rock. Besides the fact it was a flying mountain, it was covered in walls, battlements, towers , keeps and castles. Unlike the harbor keep which appeared to have been constructed by multiple architects, the fortifications of the flying mountain above her seemed quite uniform and precise in its construction.

Multiple doors and hatches all along the fortress rumbled open, and a second later dozens of dragons, then scores of dragons, and then unbelievably what seemed like a hundred dragons filled the air. Along with the dragons, were at least twice that amount of levitating mages, though they moved at a much slower rate that their draconic allies. Some of the mages seemed to be acting in groups , and these groups appeared to be telekinetically lifting large stone hoops towards them.

Trent gazed at this sight and shook his head in awe, "Well, that's slightly more bad guys than I anticipated. "

Kit drew her kukris, and spun them in her palms. Her teeth grew slightly in anticipation at the carnage ahead. "Well, looks like it's finally our turn."


	48. Chapter 48

Jose watched roughly a hundred Githyanki and their draconic steeds pour out of their flying fortress. Several dozen of the gaunt astral invaders flew out with no mounts at all and were propelled by their own arcane energies. Also several unusual massive stone circles floated ominously around them, three appeared to be lifted by the Githyanki mage's magic, while two were dragged forth by a few of the larger dragons. Jose had never seen their like before and did not know their purpose. The knight noted that a sizable portion of the dragons were noticeably slower than the others he had fought, and he saw the glint of mail on the beasts. Jose guessed they were most likely their equivalent of heavy cavalry and usually kept in reserve until a breach in the enemy's lines or defenses were exposed. For the enemy to unleash them now meant that they were either desperate or most likely really pissed off with him. Regardless of their reason, they circled the Harbor Keep like vultures, keeping a respectful distance away from the defender's arrows.

"Too scared to play with us up close and personal?" scoffed Grinder as he fired his crossbow skywards.

Jose grunted. "They're just gathering their numbers right now. They aren't stupid, they won't attack us piecemeal like before. Soon as they get enough bad guys they'll rush us with everything they got."

Grinder grunted and pointed at the enemy. The large stone disks that had been held aloft suddenly began falling from the skies. "…or instead of rushing us, they'll drop giant rock discs on us," chuckled the mercenary.

Several of the discs rammed the top of the highest tower, bounced slightly off before crashing into one of the lower fortifications. Another of the discs smashed into the edge of the tower and embedded itself into the stone. Jose frowned as he watched the last of the massive stones plummet towards him. The knight gauged its speed and direction, and calmly stepped backwards, narrowly evading being squashed by the great ring.

Grinder cringed at the fallen rings, but relaxed when nothing beyond their impact occurred. "Pfft? Dropping rocks is the best they can do? We should show them how it's done and open with the catapults and trebuchets," suggested the mercenary.

Jose shook his head as he gripped his silver blade and pointed at the rings. Previously unseen symbols lining the rings began to glow fiercely, and a misty film formed between them. The knight stared at the objects and a hint of recognition dawned upon him. "Wait, I think I've seen this before, or something like this. Both demons and devils use portals similar to this to get around the Bloodwars," warned the knight. Jose then sprinted towards the nearest glowing ring. As on cue a roar emitted from the object, and a large misshapen head and half a warped torso crawled out of the mists. Jose recognized it as a formorian, one of the more twisted and often hungrier varieties of giants. Before the monster could fully exit, the knight promptly slashed it across the chest with his silverblade, cleaving the creature's crude armor and leaving a deep cut across its torso.

The monster flashed its teeth and shouted defiantly, but its visage changed to terror as it screeched in agony and fell back through the portal. Jose noticed that the wound he had inflicted was somehow growing and rotting the formorian's chest, to the point that the flesh was blackening, exposing rapidly atrophying ribs.

Jose took a step back in shock, horrified by his weapon's power. He considered casting the vile weapon away, but quickly dismissed the thought when several hobgoblins figure began forming in the mists. The knight slammed his shoulder into the closest goblin as he recovered from his swing and kicked another backwards into the mists with his boot. Though he was trained in the use of two handed swords by Sir Rollo, Jose still took some time adjusting to the longer recovery from his swings. The knight preferred the quick slashes and blocks from his broad sword and shield, instead of the power of the two handed blade.

While Jose was holding his own at his own stone portal, the other portal was quickly being overwhelmed. Even though Grinder and a half dozen soldiers had laid low a pile of the enemy the goblins and giants were still pouring through. To make matters worse, a draconic screech echoed from overhead and Jose knew the real attack had just been signaled.

"Fall back! Fall back!" shouted the paladin as he jabbed an ogre in the head with a more controlled thrust. Even as he sounded the warning, the horde of Githyanki mages and dragon riders swooped down in unison onto the beleaguered defenders.

Grinder and the guardsmen quickly fell back to the waiting tower doors, with archers behind arrow slits and soldiers armed with spears and shields covering their escape. Sir Jose smashed a hobgoblin barring his path with the pommel of his blade as he raced for the door, stunning the creature as he ran past. He muscled his way past his dazed foe but as the paladin neared the door he felt a wave of heat behind him. He saw a hint of a dragon and its telltale cone of fire swooping down at him from the reflection of a nearby shield.

"Look out!" shouted Grinder even as magical bolts of energy struck Jose's back. The knight ignored the magical attack and concentrated on the dragon's fire instead, sidestepping the fiery blast in the last moment with a quick hop to his left. He then twisted around unexpectedly and swung his blade in a wide arc, avoiding its heavy barding and nicking the dragon in its front paw as it dove towards him. It was only a light injury, but it rapidly festered, unbalancing the great winged beast. The dragon tried to pull back but lost its balance and crashed head first before Jose. It's Githyanki rider screamed some arcane words and began weaving a spell, but the paladin grabbed the mage with one hand and with a single powerful motion, yanked him out of his saddle and straps, hoisting him high in the air. The paladin held his foe aloft for a second, before slamming the astral mage down upon his knee.

A sickening crack was heard above the tower and dragon, giant, goblin, and Githyanki alike paused in their attack. The paladin then threw the shattered form of his opponent contemptuously over the side of the wall and hopped over the maddened dragon that he had injured and sprinted towards the waiting door. The armored beast took no mind of the paladin as it apparently chewing its own leg off in an attempt to stop the spreading wound.

"Koryis's beard," exclaimed Grinder as he marvelled at Jose's exploits. "I hope I didn't screw your sister, or owe you money or something. Cuz you got one hell of a nasty streak," complimented the old mercenary as they closed and locked the tower door behind them.

* * *

Kit watched the stone rings fall from the sky. From her vantage point, she saw that a few struck and dug themselves into the highest tower, while two others landed into one of the keeps below. One stone ring however smashed into her own tower but embedded itself precariously close to the side of the wall, balanced oddly on its edge. Kit wasn't sure what they were but knew that they were more than appeared. She wondered if they would change into stone snakes or some other form of construct but her initial observations showed no such transformation.

"Now?" asked Kit, eager to begin their assault. She turned towards the three great harbor ballistae and saw that they were still under their tarps.

Trent ignored her question and began shouting orders. " Get that ring off of this tower now! " he commanded. To demonstrate his point, the Halfling grabbed one of the cranking rods used for one of the ballistae and began using it as a lever on the stone ring. Most of the soldiers in their tower were specialized siege crews or ex-soldiers that had some familiarity with siege weapons or at the very least strong enough to do the heavy lifting required in loading and aiming them. Several of them joined the Halfling as they leaned their backs into attempting to push the disc. As they strained against the heavy stone ring, she considered joining them but saw she would only get in the way since there was little room for her to push against.

Kit watched the ring suddenly light up in arcane runes, even as the Halfling and his fellow laborers nudged the ring over the side of the wall. Kit watched in morbid fascination as a formorian head and several goblins popped out of the ring even as it fell off the wall. She ran to the side of her fortification and saw the disc spiral out of control , ejecting giants and goblins in its path, before smashing into the rocks below before rolling silently into the ocean.

"Acheron Gateway, "mumbled the Halfling as he caught his breath. "They used them a lot in the Great War to ferry troops quickly around the battlefield. Expensive to operate, but reliable and good for short distances."

Kit wasn't quite sure what he was talking about, but saw that the two gateways that struck towers below them had begun glowing as well. Goblins and giants began pouring forth from them, forcing the defenders to abandon their upper defenses and retreat deeper into the tower.

"Now?" repeated Kit as she turned her attention to the Halfling.

Trent shook his head and watched the battle above. Kit saw that while the Githyanki's flying castle had disgorged roughly a hundred dragon riders, the enemy seemed content at maintaining a respectful distance. She wondered how much longer they would have to wait, when suddenly a deafening draconic screech echoed overhead. Kit wasn't sure what it meant, but recognized it must have been a signal of some sort. Her guessed proved correct, as the host of dragons above began swooping down to support the troops being disgorged from the rings.

"Githyanki are unpredictable, but seldom stupid. They won't try echelon or probe attacks, but seek to overwhelm our defenses all at once. An effective but costly attack, but our foe doesn't seem to mind casualties," commented Trent as explained their tactics to Maid. The Innkeeper didn't seem too concerned about the battle but relished the attention the Halfling was giving her.

Kit rolled her eyes at the pair. "Get a room," she whispered in annoyance. It was amusing at first, especially since the two were intially distraught about their odd relationship, but it quickly grew tiresome now that it was out in the open.

"NOW?" Kit asked again as her bloodlust began to rise. Paladin self control or not, the squire felt the urge to contribute to the battle.

A few of the dragons and mages were making passing attacks against their tower, but most seem to concentrate on the areas that the rings had landed on. Kit wasn't an expert on cavalry but did recall something about fast troops being used to either exploit weakness or to support breaches.

Trent reluctantly pulled his attention away from Maid and ordered the weapon crews to engage. Tarps were thrown aside and the catapults and smaller ballistae began to lay suppressing fire to support the defenders. Several struck their targets with devastating effects, but most of them missed of course. Despite their crew's skill ,hitting a moving target was hard enough, but using a siege weapon to hit a moving target was more a numbers game than skill; fill the sky with enough boulders and spears, and you're bound to hit something. Regardless of the inaccuracy of their attack they did seem to suppress the enemy's assault and Kit's hopes were bolstered, but then she noticed that the three harbor ballistae were now revealed but had not fired yet. They were massive weapons, each a good fifty foot in length and capable of firing a tree trunk sized spear across the length of the harbor. They were impractical for combat since they took like five minutes to load and could only hit large lumbering ships, but they were a good deterrent against pirate and sea monster alike , especially considering the dangers of the seas bordering the Western Freeholds.

Trent remained stoic and watched the battle intently. Kit didn't share his patience and considered drawing her bow. Just as she reached the edge of the battlements, she spotted her lord briefly upon the highest tower. He tossed the broken form of a Githyanki warrior over the wall before retreating out of sight. The lifeless body tumbled head over heels before crashing and impaling itself on a nearby spiked section of battlement.

Kit winced at the corpse even as Trent hopped upon a barrel. "Now! You have your targets! Fire one!" shouted the Halfling and the first harbor ballista unleashed its devastating shot.

The massive spear sailed through the sky dragging a long chain with it. They were normally used to harpoon ships but today its target was the massive Githyanki fortress. The bolt smashed a section of wall just below a cluster of scaffolding and to Kit's disappointment bounced harmlessly off. With her keen vision she saw that the normally devastating shot didn't make so much as a mark against the opponent's walls. Kit had heard that the Githyanki possessed legendary castles that floated through the aether constructed completely of out of ultra-strong adamant but hadn't believed such a thing could exist. Even after seeing the low grade bricks they were smelting in the mountains, Kit didn't think they were actually using it for a fortress. Normally adamant was so rare and expensive it was reserved for use in the construction of the most powerful weapons and armors, to build an entire fortress out of it seemed inconceivable.

"Fire two!" shouted Trent undeterred.

The second spear flew at the fortress, but this time struck directly into the scaffolding. For a second Kit thought the bolt would once again bounce off, but instead it smashed the temporary framework and shattered through the fortifications.

"Yes!" exclaimed Kit and she raised a fist towards her foe. Trent's theory that the Githyanki were forced to use subpar materials to complete their repairs proved correct. Kit smirked and noted that their efforts against their smelters probably had something to do with it.

A great whooping cheer came from her tower, but Trent took no time to join in the celebrations.

"Fire Three!" the Halfling shouted one last time, his concentration unbroken.

The third spear found its target as well, though it was a little higher up than the previous shot. It also broke through the scaffolding and lodged itself deep into the fortress.

"Kit, I need your eyes. I need an assessment on how deep the spears penetrated," Trent asked as he strained his eyes at the target.

Kit nodded and shifted her eyes slightly. "The second spear is cleanly in, there's no trace of it except the chain. The third spear is roughly two thirds in, and there's lots of external damage around it," reported the squire.

Trent raised two fingers and a soldier began waving flags towards one of the towers below. Kit noted that each chain was attached to their tower through a large iron loop attached to the roof, but they in turn ran downwards over the battlements to a separate tower below.

Trent then turned to his own crews, "Don't bother with the winches. Drop the counter weights on Jose's signal. It'll take them a minute to cut through the support beams. When they do that, they'll swarm this position. I want everyone out of the main weapon deck by then and into this tower's secondary defenses. Fall back to the goblin tower if you get over runned, and if luck have it, regroup around Sir Jose," commanded the Halfling.

The crews nodded and abandoned their post in haste. Kit knew that the typical practice was to set fire to their own siege weapons when they retreated and were about to be physically overrunned, but they didn't even take time to do that. From her knowledge of the plan, she guessed it wouldn't really be that necessary.

Maid leaned over and kissed Trent on the forehead. "Meet you up top handsome," she said before vanishing in midair.

Trent smiled before hopping onto Fluffy Two. He then turned to Kit. "Now comes the hard part."

* * *

"Quit screwing around with the door and move!" shouted Grinder at two guards futilely attempting to bar the upper tower door.

One of the guards placed a sturdy wooden bar across the door while the other strained to keep it shut. With the bar in place the pair ran down the stairs to rejoin their comrades and rejoin their comrades. The flight was short lived though, as the bar exploded into flinders and the door slammed into the slower of the two guards. The man was crushed under the weight of the door, and his partner sent tumbling down the stairs.

Sir Jose heard the pained cries of the men and halted his retreat and took two steps upwards to intercept the falling man. He grabbed the dazed man by the collar and dragged him unceremoniously down the tower, even as a giant struggled to fit through the opening it made.

"Alphak's balls!" cursed Grinder as he and several other soldiers fired their crossbows at the intruder. The volley of bolts struck the giant squarely in the leg and chest , but did not seem to hurt it. Grinder began to reload but stopped and abandoned that task and resumed his retreat instead.

"Fall back lads!" shouted Grinder," The big oaf is stuck!" he chortled with glee. Sure enough, while the giant seem uninjured from its injuries, the narrow tower stairway hampered its movements.

The guardsmen and soldiers descended down a few more levels, before barring another door behind them. While they couldn't directly see the enemy, it was obvious from their shouts and roars that they were lots of them in pursuit. As they retreated Jose glanced down through one of the tower's many arrow slits and saw that the tower was literally crawling with the enemy. Besides the upper entrance, the enemy dragons were busy clawing and tearing apart the tower walls. Hammering sounds from above told the knight that the other giants that came through those portals were most likely smashing the roofs to create more breaches for their goblin and Githyanki allies to pour in through. Jose knew that the Githyanki wanted his blade and they wanted to recover it intact. While the enemy could easily ram them or something with their flying fortress, he assumed that they rather not risk the destruction of the blade. They would attempt a direct assault and focus the bulk of their forces on this tower to take it instead. If he guessed correctly then this entire area would soon be crawling with the enemy. While most of the archers had already fallen back, the retreating soliders encountered a troop of archers still at their posts laying down a steady stream of arrows.

"Fall back now! " shouted Grinder again. To accent his point, he grabbed the nearest archer and threw him down the stairs. The rest of the archers suddenly realized their mistake and reluctantly followed Grinder and Jose downwards.

As they reached the base of the tower, Jose saw the base of the tower had already been penetrated. Several soldiers laid dead at the feet of a ravenous dragon that had breached the wall, but their spears managed to lay low its Githyanki rider.

"Daros Lucha!" shouted Jose and he hopped upwards and took a springing leap off of one of his own descending soldiers. The knight flew through the air, and slammed his blade deep into the skull of the dragon. The beast reared its head back in pain and thrashed around wildly. It began breathing fire randomly around the room in its death throes, but Jose grabbed its neck with his strong hands and slammed the creature's head into the wall, redirecting its fiery breath into the tower wall till the monster ceased its struggles.

"You should have aimed it at the supports, " growled Grinder. Jose looked and saw his old comrade was correct. The tower's supports were partially sawed through, but not enough to enact their plans. He guessed the dragon had disrupted his men as they began their last portion of their task.

"Boys! Axes now! " shouted the mercenary as he directed them desperately. Jose sheathed his silver blade and reached for an abandoned wood cutter's axe on the ground, before he grabbed it though a soothing voice interrupted him.

"No, I can handle this, " said Kaeda.

Jose turned and saw the druid growing into her full form from a corner of the room. The knight smiled at her presence and assumed she had been shapechanged into a mouse or something small for her protection all this time. "Fall back , do as she says!"

Grinder gripped his axe and hesitated. Jose guessed the mercenary didn't trust her magic but a warning glance sent his way was enough to squash any dissention.

Kaeda smiled at Jose and green motes flowed from her hands and floated towards the tower's already damaged support beams. The beams glowed slightly and seemed to grow and renew themselves at her magic. For a nervous second, Jose wondered if her magic was actually strengthening the beams, but the wood affected by her magic continued to grow and curl beyond their original size. Soon an ear splitting crack was heard, as the wooden beams supporting the tower was now warped beyond all recognition.

"Hurry," said Kaeda nervously as she took Jose's hand and led the paladin down to the lower keep.

The upper tower lurched and swayed even as the previous door they barred was shattered. Ranks of hobgoblins lead by a Githyanki with a flaming sword poured down the stairs, but they fell and lost their balance as the tower tumbled from its base. Jose watched with grim satisfaction as the highest fortification of the Harbor Keep fell from its base. He saw panicked dragons attempt to escape the breaches they created, but it was too late. The tower struck one of the lower keeps, collapsing a sizeable corner of that structure before crashing into the ocean below.

"Red dragons can swim right? " laughed a nameless soldier at the carnage.

As on cue, the heavy clanking sound of chains filled the air. Through the smoke of battle, Jose saw two massive chains connecting the Githyanki fortress to the weapons tower below. As the haze cleared a bit, he saw the chains connected to two mammoth sized stone blocks, one of which was then pushed over the sides of the lower keep, plummeting into the harbor below. The heavy chain grew taut as they dragged the keep downwards. The keep fluttered in midair and for a moment it appeared it would be dragged into the ocean below, but the sheer size of the structure and the corresponding magic to hold it aloft stopped the keeps descent. Though it didn't plunge into the ocean , the flying fortress was tilted at a slight 10 degrees.

"Hey looks like the midget's plan worked," snorted Grinder as he pointed to the obvious sight before them.

Confusion was thrown into the enemy attacks. The Githyanki's single minded purpose was disrupted, as their very survival was thrown into doubt. The flight of dragons that had previously concentrated on Jose , switched targets and instead focused on the weapon tower below. The defenders had abandoned their exposed weapons and were well entrenched behind their secondary walls Githyanki mages turned their arcane energies against the heavy chains and began blasting it repeatedly with their spells.

"I'll give them thirty seconds or so till they either snap the chain or storm the weapon keep and smash those harbor Arbalests," commented Grinder.

Jose nodded in agreement. "I think we can give them a few more than that . I think it's time we struck back," he smirked.

The paladin then focused his thoughts into the celestial planes. His call was instantly answered as a large green husky was summoned before him.

"Woof!" barked Greenpaw as he unfolded great feathered wings in anticipation of battle.

Kaeda in turn unleashed her druidic powers and five great eagles appeared. After her summons the druid spread her arms apart and shifted into an eagle as well.

Jose then hopped onto the great dog and launched himself into the sky towards the enemy. Kaeda and her flocked screeched into the air and followed his lead.

"Wait! " shouted Grinder. "Aren't they after your sword? Wouldn't meeting them in open battle be like practically giving it to them?"

Seeing his advice fall on deaf ears, the mercenary shrugged his shoulders and hefted his crossbow. "Well it was a good plan till now, guess we play it by ear now," complained Grinder as he began firing into the ranks of the enemies.

Grinder glanced downwards at the shattered keep below them. " Mean son of a bitch. It's a good thing I don't owe him any money," he muttered with a smile. "Let's hope he doesn't find out about his sister."


	49. Chapter 49

Kit climbed with great care, mindful her fingers were not caught between the massive links. Even though the massive chain connecting the Githyanki fortress and the Harbor Keep was slack, the gentlest of sways could grind the flesh or crush the bones of her hand if caught between the links.

"This plan sounded a lot better a few hours ago, "grumbled Kit as she contemplated her situation. It was bad enough she was crawling your way up a chain dangling almost a thousand feet off the ground, but she knew she had to do so under a time constraint. The Githyanki and their dragons were focusing their attention on the other chain, it wouldn't take long for them to break it. After that she would be easily spotted and even easier pickings if she was still in her current predicament. The squire knew she had to scale the chain as soon as possible.

"Woof!" barked Fluffy Two further up the chain. The shaggy mountain dog was wagging its tail as it impossibly balanced itself precariously with ease. Kit wasn't that familiar with Trent's new war dog, but she did note that unlike most dogs it was quite friendly with her. Also it slobbered a lot.

"Hurry up Kit, " warned Trent as he sat calmly on his mount. "Jose and Kaeda can't hold them off forever." Kit grumbled at how the Halfling and his mount easily scaled the chain, but knew he was correct. She glanced towards the other chain and saw her lord and a flock of eagles fighting off the Githyanki and their dragons. She wasn't sure why they were exposing themselves to a direct attack, since their goal was supposed to be luring the Githyanki deeper into the Harbor Keep with the Silver blade that Jose possessed. She guessed that her lord must have sent the blade with Grinder or someone further in, since she was sure that even he wouldn't be that stupid. Regardless of why they were fighting or how valiantly they fought, Kit knew they couldn't hold off their numerically superior foe forever.

While Kit had been climbing the chain as fast as she safely can, she knew that the Halfling was correct and she needed to make better time. She clenched her teeth and extended her claws in both her hands and feet. Though she didn't normally wear gloves, the squire cursed silently as her soft leather shoes were pierced by her rapidly expanding nails.

"Those were my favorite boots," she sighed as she dug all her claws into the chain.

Trent nodded at her slight transformation. " I'll see you up there," he said as Fluffy Two sprinted up the chain.

Kit snarled and sprang after them with ease. Normally she only shifted her senses in battle. Mainly her eyes, nose, and to her lord's amusement, her ears. She rarely shifted her skin, teeth, and in this instance her claws, since it seldom gave her an advantage in combat, though in this instance she did admit it came in handy. In her shifted form she easily bounded across the chain, disdainful of the height and precarious nature of her footing. She did a simple flip through the air, lightly guiding her landing onto the chain, before springing through the air again. As Kit sailed through the air, the chain swayed gently a few feet to the side, seemingly ensuring her doom, but the squire casually sprouted her tail in response. She twisted her new appendage and guided herself through the air, landing firmly back onto the chain with ease.

After a few more springs and flips, Kit was soon amidst the wreckage of the second massive ballistae bolt that pierced the Githyanki fortress. Awaiting her was Trent, with shortsword and shield ready. The squire noted a smug smile on the Halfling's face.

"Aww, I let you win," sniffed Kit as she shifted her form back to a more human form. She took a few steps and was disappointed to find her boots were as expected ruined by her transformation.

Trent rolled his eyes as Kit kicked off her footwear. "Let me win? I didn't realize this was a race, " he chuckled. " And by the way, Fluffy was only going half trot most of the way up."

"Cut it out you two, "whispered the shadows. Trent and Kit looked around and saw no one.

"Over here, I found what we're looking for while you two were fooling around on the chain," repeated the soft voice. "Oh, I'm over here," said Maid as she stepped out of the shadows before them. The Innkeeper gently hopped over some of the wreckage and waved the Halfling and squire forward.

Trent smiled and guided Fluffy Two onwards, while Kit shook her head. "She's really gonna have to teach me how to do that one day."

* * *

Greenpaw tackled a dragon midflight and snapped its mighty jaws around the creature's scaled serpentine neck. The great husky shook his prey vigorously , unseating its rider before the dragon managed to shake off the mighty war dog. By then it was too late, even though the Githyanki rider managed to stay afloat in midair by some type of magic, Kaeda's eagle companion swooped from the skies and plucked the astral rider's head off with its oversized talons. The dragon fared no better, as Sir Jose felled the creature with a mighty blow with his silver blade. The knight sheared its wings off and sundered its spine, killing the dragon with brute force before the insidious magic of his sword did its work.

After dispatching the pair, Sir Jose surveyed the aerial battle. Their initial assault had caught the Githyanki off guard and the knight, Kaeda, and her host of eagles managed to slay or cripple a half dozen of the dragon riders. However, now that their foes had regrouped their superior numbers and magic were whittling them down. Already three summoned eagles were ripped apart by the vengeful dragon's claws, but Jose noted that their fire breaths had little effect on them. He guessed that Kaeda placed elemental protections on them when she conjured them, a rare and difficult talent to master.

While the druid appeared similar to the golden eagles she summoned, Jose recalled that she was slightly bigger than her magical minions, and in turn her natural animal companion was slightly bigger than her in turn. With that loose guideline, Jose spotted Kaeda but saw she was being harassed by two dragons and their riders, as well as a lone Githyanki Mage. The riders and the mage assaulted her with lightning and lances of ice which she resisted easily with her wards. The dragons on the other hand used their long spade like tails to strike her from afar, tearing feathers and flesh off her body as they used hit and run tactics to whittle her down.

"Woof!" barked Greenpaw as he sensed his master's thoughts.

Jose nodded and readied for the charge. He was more accustomed to use the lance in such an attack, but rapidly grew accustomed to the Silver blade he had claimed. Though its effects were horrible, the knight did admit it was one of the few things that had kept their side in the battle. All it took was a single cut or nick from the weapon to incapacitate or even kill his opponents. The wounds it caused would quickly grow and fester unless they were treated immediately, and even then it would only stall its progress instead of fully curing it. Jose knew the difficulty in treating 'cursed' wounds since he was one of the few if not the only person in the Western Freeholds capable of doing so.

Greenpaw eagerly flew towards a dragon attacking the druid and bowled it over with a midair collision. The war dog easily knocked its opponent off balance, since the massive flying war dog easily outmuscled his skinner opponents. Jose swept his blade in a wide arc slashing the mage deeply in the leg and drawing a deep wound across the ribs of the other dragon nearby. The mage immediately screamed and vanished in mid air while the dragon flew at Jose with a flurry of claws and fangs.

The melee that ensued was a mess of scale, fur and steel. Greenpaw continue to press his attack on the intial dragon, managing to crush the scaled beast's rider between them in the process. Meanwhile Sir Jose slammed his shoulder into the dragon's ribcage, straining his strength as he tried to prevent the dragon from overwhelm him with its natural attacks, all the while fending off awkward sword strikes from its Githyanki master. The knight knew it wasn't a battle he could win normally, but the longer he kept the dragon at bay the weaker his opponent grew. It didn't take long till the dragon realized something was wrong and began to twist and writhe in mid-air, throwing its rider off in the process. The rider attempted to stay his fall with his magic, but was quickly torn to ribbons by Kaeda's eagles. The dragon on the other hand fared no better as Jose finished it off with an ugly hack to its neck. It wasn't a clean blow, but the force of the blow and the shock of its cursed wounds sent it spiralling to the ground.

"Woof!" barked Greenpaw in approval as the dog's own opponent fled bloodied from the battle. While a dragon's pride was strong, it knew it was overmatched by the flying celestial war dog.

Jose nodded and saw that Kaeda did not fare much better in the battle. The shape changed druid hovered near Greenpaw with great effort before transforming into her human form before them. Jose was caught by surprise by the sudden transformation and was afraid he wasn't close enough to catch her before she plummeted to the ground like so many of their opponents. Fortunately, her animal companion glided underneath her, and Kaeda landed firmly on its back.

"Are you all right?" asked Jose as she saw her haggard appearance.

The druid nodded weakly and began healing some of her own wounds with her nature magic. Jose noted that her healing spells were quite a bit different than his own. While his magic instantly closed or cured wounds , her magic was a gradual process that resembled an accelerated form of rest. "I'm ok. I'm just not use to so much hand to hand combat," she replied with a forced smile.

Jose grinned and signalled her to follow his lead. "I don't see Keeta or Trent anymore on the chain. The enemy's ranks are still reeling, we should fall back to the keep before we are overwhelmed."

Kaeda shook her head, "I'm not a tactician or anything, but I think now's the time to press our attack," she said while pointing into the distance.

Jose saw that the reason the enemy wasn't continuing their swarming attack on them, was that they had just been struck solidly in the flanks. As suspected, Lady Ogela had kept many of her flying troops in reserve and had unleashed them now during this final assault. Jose counted half a dozen flying lions, as well as roughly thirty or forty griffon riders. The Githyanki still had them outnumbered almost three to one, but the Northern Orders were both experienced and battle hardened and slew a dozen dragons in their charge before the enemy knew what hit them. The knight couldn't spot the normally slight Ogela in the battle, but assumed that she was probably in the vanguard of the force.

"We should strike now, place them between hammer and flat beating rock, or however you civilized folk say," she added.

Jose knew her reasoning was sound, but was still reluctant to order her into battle. It was bad enough that she followed him into the air, but he only meant them to be a distraction to buy Kit some time. While he had no qualms of risking his own life, he was reluctant to do so with hers. After all, he wasn't just concerned about her, but about their baby as well.

Kaeda seemed to sense his reluctance and pointed below. With no aerial support, the invaders pouring out of the stone rings had their assault stymied. Around one ring, a troop of spearmen under Grinder's command were desperately stabbing whatever invaders poured forth. It took a bloody toll on both sides, but it effectively stalled that invasion point. Around the other stone ring, Pig Iron was perched atop it like a fat hunting cat. An ogre stuck his head tentatively through the portal, and the dwarf quickly smashed it with his golden bastard sword. As soon as the giant fell, the dwarf darted back and hopped back on top of the ring ready for its next opponent.

"The one named Grinder and the Blessed of Arcturus have things under control for now," she pointed out. To strengthen her argument, she a wave of green motes surrounded her and five more golden eagles appeared before them.

Jose stared at her and wondered how many more eagles she could summon. It shouldn't surprise him though, since she was able to chase Magda off from Essuria once with her eagle magic. More importantly, seeing her eagerness in battle put him slightly to shame. He was a knight of the Order of the Husky, a militant organization known for its bravery in battle. They had been in the front line against the Horde of Yeenoghu, they stopped the legendary Halfgufa, and they even threw back the elementals of Ogremoch. What's a hundred odd dragons compared to those deeds? Especially since the dragons weren't even fully grown yet. Hells, his dog was even bigger than they were.

The knight wheeled Greenpaw towards the aerial melee that was ensuing before them and spurred him onwards. Kaeda and her eight eagles sped after him. "Hammer and Anvil! Daros Lucha! Long live the Husky! " he shouted in a booming voice that gave the enemy ranks pause.

* * *

Kit glanced through a round crystal port hole and briefly observed the battle.

"Even with the Snow Lion and Griffon reinforcements they still triple our number, but our forces seem to be holding their own. If these Githyanki guys are so damn smart, why are their tactics so dumb? "She asked in a whisper. The Halfling and the squire found themselves alone in an empty corridor awaiting further scouting from Maid. While they were adept at sneaking and hiding, both acknowledged the Innkeeper was much better than they were.

Trent shrugged. "Unlike the siege at the citadel of the Snow Lion, they don't have ground support. Pig Iron, Grinder, and your goblins made sure of that. Also , I doubt they scouted out where our archers are hidden before they attacked. They pretty much rushed blindly into an ambush. They maybe brilliant strategists and wizards, but they do live on the edges of Limbo. Jose gave them the right push so to speak, and that's the results. If you live near the plane of chaos long enough, some of the insanity rubs off," he replied. "It's kind of like the Drow before the great subjugation, clever little bastards but prone to infighting and blood orgies."

"So…do you think there's any chance Jose will win?" asked Kit eagerly.

Trent shook his head. "Jose seized the initiative and pushed his advantage for all its worth, but their superior magic and numbers will eventually turn the tide. Out best bet is to succeed in our mission, and hope our friends still live to retreat."

Kit frowned. Despite everyone telling her that this was a suicide mission and their chance of success was slim, deep down she felt that her Lord was going to defeat the Githyanki, save the day, and keep everyone safe. She admitted it was a foolish notion, but Sir Jose had a knack of wrestling victory from the certain defeat, often in a literal and comical sense.

"Quiet you two, "admonished a voice from the shadows. A hand appeared from the darkness and waved them forwards. "The fortress is mostly empty save for a few patrols, but there are a couple of Githyanki guarding the glyph room. It's centrally located and apparently in plain view. If we all strike from stealth we can take them," she explained before disappearing again.

Kit nodded and followed where her friend's hand directed. The squire patted her kukris in anticipation of the battle ahead. When she first heard of the plan she had her doubts. Their mission was to locate a room full of glyphs, magic circles, or arcane runes inside the mountain sized fortress, and it seemed akin to her like finding a mouse in a field. Fortunately, while the fortress looked massive and impressive from the outside, the inner layout proved fairly simple. Trent predicted that many of the outer rooms would be barracks, armories, and training rooms, and that the inner rooms, in the chambers above would be where their target would be located. He guessed there was a chance that the room would be concealed or hidden by magic, but he was gambling that Maid's intuition or Kit's senses could locate it. Luckily, for all involved, it proved easier than that to find.

As the small group went down a corridor and then up a flight of stairs, the sounds of battle outside reverberated through the seemingly empty fortress.

"This doesn't seem right. Where is everyone? Insane or not, I can't believe they just emptied the place," Kit asked in a hushed tone.

"Most of the ogres, giants, and goblins are on the levels below us. They're waiting their turn to charge through those stone portals I guess," explained Maid as they advanced. "We're fortunate that the ballistae bolt struck the upper Githyanki levels , else things would be a bit more hectic."

"Also, they probably didn't post any additional sentries since they didn't expect to phase out of the astral plane," added Trent. "Regardless of their laxness, be on the lookout for traps or guardians. Don't be caught off guard," he warned.

Kit took his advice to heart and focused on her hearing and smell. She could smell the stink of sulfur from most likely a dragon lair nearby , but also detected the scent of incense and some musty powder she wasn't familiar with. Her hearing was a bit more successful and she caught the sound of a nearby conversation. She couldn't make out the language, but she guessed it was Githyanki since the harsh guttural words were punctuated by arcane words and phrases in the same manner as her previous encounters with them.

Maid held her hand out and signalled that there were two opponents in the next room. She motioned for Trent and Kit to attack the one on the left on the count of five before she vanished from view.

Kit bristled at being ordered about, even if it was by her friend, but knew this was no time to argue. She silently drew her blades and began her count, then sprang into the room with weapons at the ready.

As Maid reported there were two Githyanki seemingly engaged in an argument of some sort. They were both tall for their race, and wore vests bejeweled in large gaudy gems. Atop both their heads were their ridiculous trademark curled helmets that Kit thought would look more suited on gnomes or fairies then on fearsome astral warriors.

As Kit entered the room her senses immediately detected some sort of ward ahead of them. The squire's reflexes were quick enough to stop before triggering them, but Trent already charged in on his war dog. Kit expected some explosion or magical trap to descend on them, but none materialized. Since the Halfling already triggered whatever magical protections guarded this area, Kit decided to follow his lead and strike.

Trent and his war dog were the first to reach their foe, and they opted for a direct knock down charge. Fluffy Two easily knocked over their surprised opponent even as his foe's skin automatically turned grey and stone like. Trent then immediately began raining slashes down on his prone foe, while his dog bit the creature repeatedly. Though the pair covered most of their prey, Kit still had enough room to finish the mage off with a darting cut across the throat. Her first blow met a resistance akin to stone, but the Githyanki's protection quickly vanished under all three of their attacks, and her second strike easily severed his throat. The squire then turned to face the second opponent, but instead found Maid standing over his lifeless body pulling her shortsword from its back.

Having dispatched the pair, Kit then surveyed the room. She saw it was circular in shape, roughly fifty feet across and domed. All across the walls and roof were strange symbols the likes of which that even Kit had never seen, an impressive feat considering her adventurous background. The entire room was mostly empty save for a dozen concentric mage circles etched in random patterns into the solid stone floor. While she couldn't identify the runes on the walls, the ones on the ground were easily enough recognizable. They were protection circles, normally used in binding some powerful entity.

"Careful, don't cross those circles. They hold some powerful being at bay," Kit cautioned, even though they had already done so.

Trent rolled his eyes and pointed at the two dead Githyanki and their own standing positions. "If caution was needed, then we're far too late," he chuckled. "You are correct though, they do hold a powerful being. I've only been on a few flying fortresses in my time, and they all require vast amounts of magic to levitate so to speak. The easiest way to harness such energy is to trap or enslave a spirit of the air I've been told. My kinsfolk the Greater Pielanders and the cloud giants of the Snow Peaks bind air elementals to their will and while I've only been on a Githyanki fortress once before, I suspect that our astral friends have done something similar."

"So break the circle and this fortress falls out of the sky?" asked Maid in disbelief. "You make it sound so easy."

Trent shook his head as he hopped off Fluffy Two. He studied the floor and prodded the circle with his neatly trimmed foot. "Besides the fact that we would fall out of the sky with it, it's not that easy. For one thing , the floor is solid adamant ore. Even a corresponding adamant blade or dragon fire would have trouble destroying it, but sadly we don't even have the luxury of either," he explained. To demonstrate his point, he attempted to slice the floor with his sword but drew only sparks for his efforts.

"So what do we do?" asked Kit curiously. She knew the Halfling had some type of plan, he always seemed to.

Trent ignored her question as he continued his examination.

As the Halfling was busy in his cryptic search, the floor began to shake rhythmically to a heavy pounding. "Something is coming! " hissed Maid as she faded into the shadow once again.

The loud sounds increased, but Trent continued his search unperturbed. Kit hesitated at her next course of action. Should she hide like Maid or defend the Halfling.

"Here! " shouted Trent as he pointed to an area that had several of the rings overlapping it. Without explaining what he had found, the Halfling took one of his bags and began emptying what appeared to be dark grey rocks to the floor. Kit wasn't sure what the rocks were but saw the pile continue to grow, far beyond the supply limit of the bag. After what seemed to be several hundred pounds of the strange rock was emptied, the Halfling switched to another bag and began emptying that as well till he formed a small mountain of the substance. "While dragon fire can't burn adamant, I know something that can. "

Kit puzzled at his statement then it dawned on her. "Coke? You have Gregor's entire coke supply on you?" she gasped. Kit recalled that coke was some type of industrial fuel that could smelt even adamant ore if given enough time. She guessed if coke could forge adamant, than it seemed reasonable that it could eventually destroy it as well.

Trent shrugged. "No, that would be way too much to carry, but I do have a significant supply. I kept it in reserve, just in case we were on the losing side in Essuria, and I needed a bargaining chip to keep my boys and I safe," he explained. "Oh you guys too. I wouldn't weasel my way out without securing your safety as well, " he added with a laugh.

"Of course not, " chuckled a soft voice from the darkness.

Kit was about to add something to Maid's comment, when the source of the heavy pounding sounds finally entered the room. When in full view , she saw it was a fifteen tall Githyanki. It appeared to be made completely of dark iron, from its ornate armor to its skin, save the large silver sword it wielded. While Kit had plenty of experience battling giants, this creature's slow movements, mechanical gait, and odd battle stance marked it as something different.

"Golem," whispered Kit as she readied for battle. A golem was a magical guardian constructed of some inanimate material. They were typically big, strong, immune to most magics, and in many cases, resistant to all weapons save adamant ones. She guessed the ward they had tripped earlier was a warning spell and this was the first of probably many defenders to come.

"Keep it busy while I attempt to destroy the circle," shouted Trent as he began emptying a third bag.

Kit snorted at his demand. Her blades were meant to tear through flesh not pierce a metal monstrosity like the one she faced. Even against heavily armored opponents Kit was normally confident that she could find a weakness to exploit to get to her squishy prey beneath, however with this monster there wasn't any. It was simply a magically animated hunk of iron in the shape of a Githyanki warrior mage. How was her blade supposed to hurt that? With her luck, it was probably made of adamant as well, like the rest of this accursed fortress.

As the golem lumbered forward, Kit wondered what her lord would do in a situation like this. She glanced at the slain Githyanki at her feet and smiled as she reached down and grasped one of their blades. Despite their size in comparison to herself, they were fairly light weight and well balanced. She guessed they were magical in nature, but not to the extent of one of the true silver blades that the Githyanki went crazy for. With her new weapon in hand, Kit charged her foe, lowering her voice and shouting the best impression she could muster of her lord.

"Darius Loo-cha! " she bellowed as she easily tumbled past the metal monster's first clumsy swing. At the same time Maid leaped, seemingly out of midair and plunged her short blade into the golem's back. The innkeeper's blow was well placed and would have killed even a giant in normal circumstances, but did little to the golem they faced. Sensing that her attack was useless, Maid back flipped away from her position; landing well out of harm's way. Kit in the meanwhile closed the distance between the metal giant and swung her blade in an awkward strike. She wasn't comfortable with the two handed sword but did train in its use. While her blow lacked her usual finesse it still managed to strike the huge monster in the leg with a resounding clang. Her blow seemed mostly ineffective at first glance, but Kit did notice that she created a sizeable rend in her opponent's hide.

Kit laughed as she wheeled about her much larger and slower opponent." On the bright side, at least its only made of iron and not out of adamant, " she laughed.


	50. Chapter 50

Sir Jose and his flight of eagles smashed into the Githyanki dragons like a typhoon. Kaeda, trailing close behind, weaved an enchantment about them that gave their group a sudden surge of swiftness, similar to that of a striking snake. All about him, talon and beak met fang and claw as the hastened paladin and his avian vanguard sliced through the enemy ranks, while Ogela and her Lion and Griffon riders kept the bulk of their foe occupied. The paladin for his part, impaled one of the astral mages in his initial charge and then swung his deadly blade in large arcs hoping to nick and wound as many of his opponents as possible.

For a brief moment, it appeared that their gambit had worked, that Sir Jose's sudden attack had broken the morale of the enemy. Having been caught between two relentless foes, the dragon riders were thrown into confusion and were on the verge of fleeing the skies, but the Githyanki were not so easily defeated. The hardened astral warriors quickly regrouped in the chaos and once again pressured the knights with their superior numbers and magic. Courage, tactics, and heroism could only carry you so far when faced against a hundred dragons and their fiery breaths. Arcs of flame lanced through the sky, as the knights were trapped in a maelstrom of flame.

"Fall back! Fall back to the keep! "Shouted the clear ringing voice of Ogela as the enemy engaged her troops. The elven knight commander was wrapped in light form fitting suit of plate armor that was silver like her short bob cut of hair. She was stabbing and wheeling about frenetically on her winged lion as she tried to buy her knights some time. Jose saw that the remaining Lion and Griffon riders attempted to obey her orders but were already locked in a deadly melee with the enemy. While a seasoned knight and his war beast was more than a match for a lone Githyanki and his dragon, the enemy outnumbered them considerably and took full advantage of their weight in numbers.

Jose saw that they were in trouble but Greenpaw and himself were a long ways off from their position. As he flew towards them, Ogela jabbed one of the astral mages with her lance, stabbing him cleanly through his chest, but a dragon with an unusually long serpentine neck pounced on her feathered lion during her exchange. The force of the collision jarred the lithe elven knight and caused her to drop her lance as she struggled to maintain her balance. The dragon was relentless in its fury and savagely tore one of her mount's wings off as its claws raked the lion's flanks mercilessly. The elf in return barely managed to draw her blade and took a clumsy swing at the base of the dragon's neck. The monster's long serpentine neck easily dodged her slow strike, and its draconic features took on a cocky grin as it played with its prey. The creature's triumph was short lived though as the elf's strike proved to be nothing but a deliberate feint. Her slow blade suddenly flashed upwards, and pierced the dragon's throat underneath its jaw. A tip of steel emerged slightly through its skull, before the elf extracted her weapon in a clean fluid motion. The dragon's victory grin turned to a look of shocked defeat as it realized what had happened. If fell from the sky still locked with Ogela's maimed lion as the elf launched herself away from the pair.

"May your spirit soar again," whispered Ogela as she watched her mount and the dragon tumble from the sky.

While she had been dismounted in midair, Ogela did not plummet to the ground as was expected. Instead the elf drifted slowly downwards as she clutched a token around her neck. Though death from falling had been avoided, the elf was still a sitting target for the legions of foes that fought around her. She had simply exchanged one reaper for another as another Githyanki dragon rider dived down at the relatively helpless elf.

Ogela's limited mobility put her at a severe disadvantage against her mounted foe. Besides the reach and speed advantage of her enemy, the feather like enchantment holding her afloat allowed her few movement options. All she could do was slowly sink downwards, and couldn't even attempt a last ditch lunge against the approaching dragon. Her only chance was to weather the dragon and its rider's initial assault and if somehow she remarkably survived, strike back with all she had. It was only a fool's hope, but the elf had fought against worst odds before. She had fought against the mind shattering Hafgufa and the renegade Griffon Prince Stormfeather, she simply braced for the worse.

"Woof!" shouted the great winged husky as it finally reached the elf and intercepted the dragon. The green celestial war dog slammed into the side of the monster, throwing the rider off and sending the dragon spinning away in a flurry of claws and scales. Simultaneously its North Darokin rider swung his sword in a great side slash, severing the beast's tail and one of its wings, while tearing through the chest of the Githyanki as it spun away. The dragon and its rider wailed in pain as they both fell to the ground.

Sir Jose reached out and yanked the slender elf unceremoniously onto the back of his saddle. While she theoretically was his superior in the byzantine hierarchy of the northern knights, she ignored his rough treatment, and bowed slightly to him as an equal.

"Thank you for the assist Jose, if we are to die today we will die well," she shouted as she eyed the battle. Though the battle was going badly for her knights, the druid's eagles were throwing themselves selflessly at the enemy dragons. While eagles were generally a poor match for their bigger draconic opponents, their sacrifice bought the griffons and winged lions a chance to disengage or withdraw from their foes and regroup around the big paladin.

Sir Jose nodded and signalled the woman trailing behind him on another eagle to follow his lead. "We'll draw them off while Trent and my squire do their thing," he yelled as he lead the remaining eagles and knights towards the safety of the covering fire of the lower fortifications of Harbor Keep.

The keep was still under siege, assaulted by a tide of goblins and ogres from the stone portals embedded in them, but the defenders appeared to have stalled or stymied their advance. One of the portals appeared cracked and inert as a dwarf danced around , slamming what appeared to be a sledge hammer into it. Dozens of hobgoblins and ogres lied dead at his feet. The other portal had a troop of goblins and ogres bunched around it as they slowly filed into the keep, all the while being sniped at by archers from the adjacent towers and fortifications. From their rate of advance, Jose guessed the fighting was fierce inside that particularly stronghold and wondered if Grinder and his men could hold them off long enough. Besides the remaining portals, Jose glanced worriedly at the great chains holding the sky fortress in place. The first chain had been ripped apart, and the other chain was in the process of being destroyed. More importantly the second chain appeared to have suffered some mechanical malfunction. It's anchoring weight was supposed to have been released, but that had not been done. Smoke from the battle obscured his view and he wondered the enemy had stopped it or if it was just a poor construction from the original designers of the great harbor weapon. He wasn't sure what the reason was, but he just hoped that Trent, Maid and Kit had finished their mission and rappelled back to safety.

"I thought I told you to stay in Fairhaven or Essuria or whatever the name of that town was and protect the silver sword. I didn't expect you and your forces to come to Sasserine. Even then you should have supported us at the Citadel of the Snow Lion instead of this keep. We wouldn't have sallied out to assist your foolhardy challenge, but your antics drew out their fortress from the aether, " commented Ogela as they flew out of immediate danger. " Those harbor ballistae were a good idea, and it was a noble effort to bring that thing down, but the damage appears to be only superficial," she noted.

"We're not done yet," smirked Jose as he flew overhead of the second contested portal. Greenpaw skimmed the heads of the invaders, knocking a particularly tall ogre off the keep and into the ocean below. Several of the eagles and griffon riders followed suit, sending the invaders in a panic. Some forced themselves against their fellow back into the portal while others pushed each other over the edge.

"Wait….your sword….," said Ogela as her narrow elven eyes widened. "You…you didn't actually bring the silver blade that they covet with you? Did you? " she asked in a sudden panic.

"Errrrr….mebbe….."

"You idiot! The only reason my men stayed and fought in the citadel was to buy you time to escape or at least to ensure the sword doesn't fall into their hands. I'm not sure why they want that damn thing, but I do know that whatever plans they are plotting, they can't continue until they recover that blade," she said in exasperation. Jose cringed at her scolding, feeling like a squire again under his master Rollo, but her frowned relaxed a bit and she spared him a smile. "Well at least you came to our aid when we needed you. Even if they kill us all and recover the sword, I'm sure we've put a dent into whatever they are planning. "

"Umm….about that….."

Ogela paused and glared at the knight suspiciously as their remaining aerial troops landed under one of the covered canopies on the lower keeps, " You've uncovered their plans? How?"

"Errr….We kind of snuck out of Essuria and raided one of their strongholds. Seems like they are accidental time travellers or something and they want to head back and change history," he stated in an uncharacteristically sheepish voice, "ummm….we think the only reason that they haven't done this is because they lost this sword, and they'll probably attempt to return back in time once they retrieve it. If they succeed, we might all cease to exist. We could have ran and hid the sword or even destroy it, but we figured they would have returned anyways if they couldn't reclaim the blade, so we came back to stop these guys once and for all. It sounds kind of dumb, but hopefully our little diversionary attacks have bought my squire enough time to bring their fortress down, or at least to stop them from returning. "

Ogela looked at him in shock, but instead of an outburst she simply smiled and shook her head."You are big, dumb, and stupid. Just like your Lord Rollo," she stated in a distant voice. "Let's just hope your squire's bravery matches your foolishness. "

* * *

The Githyanki statue swung its silvery blade in a wide arc at the invaders. Kit watched the blade and carefully timed her jump to avoid the weapon, while Maid simply stepped towards the weapon in a carefree manner. Kit expected the Innkeeper to be chopped into two but somehow she managed to step atop the weapon and sprint up the length of its arm. The metal giant's motion had already been committed to its great swing, allowing Maid to hop on and then over its arm and disappear behind the construct's back.

Kit had always thought herself as nimble and agile but her jaw dropped when she watched her friend's impossible looking feat. She quickly shook off her admiration though and chopped at her foe with an overhead swing with the twohanded sword she scavenged. Her control over the blade was getting better, and she managed a heavy strike against what passed as the monster's knee. A loud clang could be heard throughout the room, and Kit felt her bones shake from the impact.

"Keep up the pressure!" shouted Trent as the Halfling continued to pour the odd grey fuel out of his magical bags. Kit gave the small sergeant an evil glare and wondered if it was possible to trade jobs with him. Though her last strike did cause a considerable scar on her foe's leg, it hardly seemed to be slow from her attack.

Having finally recovered from its last swing, the golem readjusted its stance and faced Kit squarely. The squire watched its sword carefully as she guessed she could avoid its slow attacks. As predicted the monster swung its weapon downwards towards the squire, a blow she easily dodged. Unfortunately for Kit, the creature was not without cunning. It lashed its great iron shod boot at Kit right after she jumped, catching her square in the stomach.

Kit's body exploded in pain as her body crumpled against the wall. She struggled to get back at her feet as she knew speed and mobility were her only defence against this creature. Despite her urgency Kit was still woozy from the attack and stumbled in her first attempt to rise. She thought the creature would finish her off at the point, but instead the monster was spinning around in a circle attempting to swat something around its head.

Kit took the opportunity given to her and managed to scramble into a crouching stance. As her vision cleared, she saw that Maid had somehow attached herself to its back during her last attack, and was currently distracting the metal monstrosity with a flurry of blows to the top of its pointy helmeted head and what passed for its ears. Lines of sparks crisscrossed the monster's head but it appeared to take little damage from the Innkeeper's strikes. Kit wasn't sure if even Maid's attacks could penetrate its metal hide, would it be enough to disable the monster? While most of the golem's humanoid futures were decorations for show only and had no critical importance in its anatomy, the Innkeeper's relentless strikes appeared to have it distracted and that was the break that Kit was looking for.

Without a second thought, Kit rushed the monster once again and used her weapon as more of a battering ram than a sword. Kit knew that she was vulnerable to a counter attack and hoped that Maid would serve as enough of a distraction for her blow to land. The golem shifted slightly as she approached, but no attempt was made to stop her as the weapon slammed into one of the rends in the golem's knee. Kit felt the beast's metallic hide give way before her blow, but she also felt the weapon snap from the force of her attack. With her momentum spent, Kit flipped backwards out of the golem's reach and saw that a good two feet of her sword had lodged in the monster's knee. It was embedded fairly deeply in, but besides the visual impact it made, it seemed to have little effect on the golem. Kit frowned in disappointment at the wasted blow, but did not dwell too much on her failure. She swiftly rolled towards the second Githyanki sword lying on the ground and attempted to grab it as well. Before she could grab the sword though, the golem appeared to have anticipated her move and angrily smashed its foot over the blade.

Kit jumped back from the blow and knew that the sword was crushed. She wasn't sure what she would do next since she doubt t her kukris would have better luck against the monster. Everything they had thrown against it seemed to have been ineffective. From Maid's precision strikes against its metal head, to Kit's two handed blows against its legs, their efforts appeared to have been futile.

Just as Kit began to doubt their chances, the monster lurched to the side, smashing its shoulder against the domed walls as it stumbled on its wounded knee. Kit saw that her previous attack that broke her first Githyanki sword wasn't in vain, and in fact the broken blade embedded in the monster's knee was hindering the golem's movements. Kit wasn't sure how big of an advantage it would prove since the creature was still immune to the bulk of their attacks, but immobilizing or at least slowing its steps would buy them some time.

"Just a little longer," pleaded Trent as Kit and Maid fell back and observed their crippled foe. Despite its injury the monster still dragged itself towards them as best it could, but the two women were careful to avoid the brunt of its attacks. Maid was content darting in and out of the monster's reach, while Kit switched to her bow and attempted to see if her arrows would fare better than her blades. She did manage to embed a few into its iron hide , but for the most part her attacks were still futile.

As Maid and Kit continued to distract the creature, Trent finally emptied his supply of coke into his corner of the room. Kit was surprised by the amount he had brought and guessed it was close to a dozen barrels worth. The Halfling took little time announcing his achievement and produced a large flask with a stylized flame symbol marked on it. Kit immediately identified it as a drought of alchemical fire and recalled something that while coke was an industrial fuel, it wasn't easy to ignite . Alchemical fire was a very unstable and dangerous substance that could burn on rock or even under water. She guessed that if anything could light the coke, it certainly should.

As the Halfling threw his flask onto the barrels, suddenly a great gust of wind swept through the room. It tossed Trent and his dog against the wall and blew the flask well away from the barrels. Kit on the other hand was slammed hard into the floor and barely managed to stay conscious under the assault.

"A worthy effort," remarked an imperious voice with harsh arcane tones " But unfortunately for you, I was prudent enough to rush to the dome of binding when you triggered the alarm." . Kit stared about the room in confusion, noting the voice sounded like it was partly echoing around them, and partly resonating in her mind.

Kit couldn't see the speaker, but she recognized both his scent and most of all his voice. She remembered it from when she recovered the dragon eggs, a voice that cowed even Mayor Gregor into submission. The mysterious master of the Githyanki, Zazoz.

"So you stole my eggs. They were supposed to replace our slain mounts. Githyanki are easy to replace but dragon mounts aren't," commented the voice.

Kit snapped to attention as she realized whatever it was, it was definitely reading her mind. She hadn't had to deal with telepaths since her days under Mogombo, but immediately began filling her mind with random thoughts to confuse the mental invader.

Juggling cats, noses on apples, spinning worms, Jimmy, furry catfish, Mogombo, spires of silver, Martinez's facial hair, dancing fish, Rasmus, naked Rasmus, killer clowns, vampire clowns, vampire moon clowns, Maid, Maid's inn, spike coral, sandy beaches, agave worm juice, bottles of agave worm juice on the beach, Sir Jose, drunk Sir Jose, Sir Jose with his silver sword….

Kit paused at the last thought and cursed her undisciplined mind.

"So….it really was Kazoz's sword. I intended only a minor battle to convince my council that I've made an effort to recover the blade before we returned to our timeline, I never thought it would be brought right into my hands. I thought the …clueless… in this dimension would be smart enough to at least hide it well away from my grasp," laughed the imperious voice which was still nowhere to be seen. From her scent and hearing, Kit had a rough idea where the voice was originating from. She knew her best bet would be to ignite the coke but instead she bristled at the term clueless. It was a derogatory remark used by dwellers of the outer planes to describe the oblivious people that dwell in the prime worlds.

As Kit readied herself to attack, a yelp of pain distracted her. As her senses were honed in to track her seemingly invisible opponent she missed the fact that the golem had somehow snagged Maid and was now holding her limp body in its clutches. The auburn haired Innkeeper was weakly trying to pry herself out from its grasp as her movements were growing weaker. Kit wasn't sure how it managed to catch her, but guessed it must have been during the wind spell that Zazoz casted on them.

"This coke has proved more trouble than it was worth you know. I could have saved myself a lot of effort and frustration if I would have simply executed Kazoz when he suggested we conquer this region and repaired our fortress to full capacity. I simply wanted some simple patchwork done on it and renewed our attacks against the Warmaster as soon as possible, but the fools in the council outvoted me,"sighed Zazoz.

Kit had his location narrowed considerably as the Githyanki lord talked, but before she could pounce the golem tossed Maid's broken form at her. Kit could have easily dodged out of the way, but instead she attempted to catch her friend and both of them ended in a disheveled heap on the floor.

"Thanks, " groaned Maid. "We always made a good team," she added weakly as the pair struggled to their feet.

"I knew you would attempt to catch her. She means a lot to you , I saw that in your mind," gloated Zazoz as he finally shimmered into view. He was tall, even for a Githyanki, towering over seven feet when his large curled hat on his head. He had the same pale complexion as his brethren but Kit noted some arcane symbols tattooed onto his face and arms. His jaundiced armor was adorned in oversized gems and golden symbols, more baroque and elaborate than any previous Githyanki that Kit had encountered. Lastly his sword was almost an exact duplicate of the one that Sir Jose wielded. It wasn't a cheap knockoff like the ones the other Githyanki used to imitate their lords' blades, but a weapon radiated a suffocating aura of power. More importantly, Kit saw that the golem next to him was imitating his motions and she guessed he was somehow taking direct control of its actions.

"Yes, I crafted this construct, and I can bend it to my will if I choose, " bragged the Githyanki Lord in his growingly annoying imperious voice. "That is unfortunate for you two , since both your fighting styles rely on exploiting weaknesses and finesse. A deadly combination but useless against my servant here, only brute force can prevail against him."

Kit knew he was correct. Sir Jose or even Pig Iron would be a better match against the metal beast than either Maid or herself. Regardless of her disadvantage she knew she had to somehow ignite the coke. Perhaps a torch or flaming oil she thought.

"What? Ignite the coke? "laughed Zazoz. "I see you aren't familiar with this fuel. It isn't lamp oil or salamander grease, it's a slow burning industrial fuel. " To demonstrate he turned to the grey rocks and a wave of fire blew erupted from his fingers and engulfed the coke. The rocks were lit briefly but they quickly burned themselves out. "It's like lighting bricks. An impossible task, unless of course you had some more of that alchemical fire. I'm not sure if it would work, but apparently the Halfling thinks it should. I would like to test his theory in a more controlled environment, but sadly that was your last flask," teased Zazoz as he flashed a smile of razor sharp teeth.

Kit knew she didn't carry any since her rough and tumble fighting style would probably break whatever container she kept the unstable substance in. Kit turned to Maid and the Innkeeper shook her head as well.

"We might not be able to ignite the coke, but we can end this now, " whispered Maid as she motioned to Zazoz. Kit nodded in agreement as she dropped her bow and drew her spare kukris. She spun them in her hands expertly and turned her attention towards the Githyanki Lord. They would have to get past his golem first, a normally hard enough task, but made even more difficult by the fact that Zazoz was now directly controlling it. Kit was a lot more durable than Maid, and considered sacrificing herself to buy her friend some time to slay the enemy leader.

"Yes, that's the spirit. I'll even forgo my war magic to make it more fair. Slay me now and end this little war, " challenged Zazoz in direct response to the women's whispers. He assumed a combat stance and raised his great silver blade over his head in preparation to strike. While the golem was standing lopsided from its injured knee, it also attempted to mimic the same pose as the Githyanki. "I can read your every pathetic thought, anticipate everyone one of your futile moves," he smirked.

Before Maid or Kit advanced towards their final foe, suddenly a feral snarl filled the air. A battered Trent and his mount, Fluffy Two, leapt at the golem. The veteran dogoon took everyone, including Kit by surprise, and closed the distance before the golem could strike him. Kit wasn't sure what to expect since all their previous efforts had proved mostly fruitless, but instead of attacking directly, Trent was weaving in and out of its legs. The Halflings efforts seemed equal parts comical and pathetic as the golem ignored his confusing little dance and attempted to smash him. Trent however sensed this and leaped away just as the golem suddenly lost its balance and crashed into the ground. Kit wasn't sure what just happened but saw a cable had entangled the construct's legs, and seemed to be attached to a spool on the halfling's saddle bags.

"We do this to Frost giants all the time," commented the Halfling as his dog leaped away from the prone but thrashing construct.

Maid and Kit saw their opportunity and rushed Zazoz together. Kit guessed that while this Githyanki definitely could read minds, his ability wasn't perfect since he didn't detect Trent at all. Strip away his army, his impressive pointy hat, and his magic, than he was nothing more than another simple Githyanki. And she's killed enough of them to know that a blade between the ribs would stop him literally dead in his tracks. There was no one other that Sir Jose that she would have preferred to be fighting at her side and she knew that together they could end this.

* * *

In a flash it was all over.

Kit couldn't believe anyone could move so fast. Every sound, scent , and flutter of movement seemed amplified as she watched the battle take place before her.

Her first slash was easily deflected by a flash of silver, even as Maid seemed to slip into the shadows and reappear almost instantaneously behind Zazoz. The Innkeeper tried to stab the unsuspecting Githyanki in the back, but he simply sidestepped out of her path and swept his blade at her with a simple sideways swipe.

Maid's eyes blinked with shock at his impossible speed, even as the silver blade sliced cleanly past her throat and through the back of her neck.

Kit watched in shock, distrusting her eyes since there was no blood, but a red line quickly grew across the Innkeeper's neck, even as her body and head fell to the ground separately.


End file.
